


X-Millennium Battle

by Aoi_Kitsukawa



Category: X -エックス- | X/1999
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dark Past, Dimension Travel, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fantasy, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Multi, Mystery, Other, Past Relationship(s), Romance, Suffering, Supernatural - Freeform, Suspense, Time-Space Travel, Tragedy, Tragic Romance, war survivors
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-09-25 10:34:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17119721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aoi_Kitsukawa/pseuds/Aoi_Kitsukawa
Summary: Semi AU and Continuation. At the climax of The Promised Day, the battle between the two dragons was interfered by two groups of strangers. While it was, won by the seals, Subaru’s power as Sakurazukamori was sealed in rather…awkward way!How can he release himself from the spell, when he finally realized the caster was someone from his past with the late Hokuto?Who are the teenagers whom claimed themselves as Guardians?*Re-post from FFN and the story contents will be the same as in the said site.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is orignally from FFN, and I did mention in some of my works about posting some of the stories there in this site since I won't be able to access the said site and update my stories anymore.
> 
> The story is currently on hiatus, but I post it here in case some of my readers want to find this story here. 
> 
> Additional tags will be add if there is a need for them.

**X-Millennium Battle.**

A fanfiction by Aoi Kitsukawa.

 **Disclaimer:** X-1999 is belongs to CLAMP, I only borrow the characters in the manga/ anime/ movie. Please enjoy reading it!

* * *

 

 **Author’s Note:** Suddenly I want to go back to CLAMP’s old stories and I have been fond with X-1999. The first time I ever encountered this story was when I received a CD that contained the movie from my friend, and then another one which was the ‘zero’ episode of X/1999 TV anime –An Omen. Since at that time I was barely a 14-year-old girl with no experience and knowledge about internet, I never knew what exactly X-1999 until I ended my O-Level exams and entered Center for Foundation Studies. It can be say that I’m a bit late to know about this story.

Roughly, I check the fandom about Subaru-Kamui or Subaru-OC relationships but it’s hard to find out stories with the length 5000 words and above, and without Yaoi/shounen-ai themes too. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of Yaoi, even though I can handle the Shounen-ai, these two were not my favorites themes either. Sorry S/K and S/S fans! 

This is my first story for X-1999. This is a mix of Alternate Universal and Continuation type of story, with a bit mix of anime/manga/movie plots. 

* * *

 

**_I don’t know…_ **

**_When it started,_ **

**_When I began slipping into the delusion, painful, sadness…_ **

**_And sorrow…_ **

**_That I seem to be no longer a human._ **

**_It is been…very long?_ **

**_Perhaps…It started from ‘that’ time…_ **

**_When I survived…_ **

**_Ever since that day,_ **

**_My heart was hurt and cracked…_ **

**_Very, very broken…_ **

 

* * *

  **Battle 1:** Prologue

* * *

  ** _Crying never seems to help..._**

* * *

 

It was chaos.

Far away from the ancient Imperial City –Kyoto, in other dimension and in some place at the forest, there was a burnt ground in the middle of the frozen forest. It still smoked and there was some people lying on the ground. The sky still dark, the snows had fallen on the people but none of them moved. Some of them cried in pain, and then in the middle of the smokes, laid two young girls, but one of them seemed to be covered in pool of blood. The snow fell onto them; all of them went to the place where people were lying on the ground; their fates were unknown.

            A 15-year-old girl with silky black hair that past her shoulders and reached her back slowly sit up from the middle of burning earth, before she stopped and stared at the cold body next to her. She was seen wearing stained and dirty royal clothes; silver blue crown with Blue Star symbol on it, a long, blue coat that reached to her ankle but with short sleeves; with gold threads embroidered on her cuffs and collar. Her inner shirt and pants were blue with gold threads covered the motive of the shirt, with black high heel shoes as the match. A Blue Star insignia embalmed on her left chest and the black-gold sash around her waist fully marked her as royalty.

            However, the truth was, she was a highest rank Guardian.

            She felt tears strained down her face as she touched the face of the cold body –her friend. That poor girl had died in a way she shouldn’t die; left everything that she should achieve likes other girls that had the same age as hers, her parents, lives...

The young girl closed her eyes and let her tears fell down, wondering how long did she passed out after cried so much for the loss of her friend? Then she kept on looking at her surroundings, tried to find any of the survivors among the dead people. The snow had started already, and her royal clothes slowly glowing and disappeared into the cold air, leaving her with only torn-up hoody-jacket, dark blue shirt and trousers with the same colour. She wobbly stood up, held her injured body, looking at the scene in front of her. Unfortunately, because of the season, the moon was hidden so the light was not reached the earth. Still, she could felt the chill slowly reached her body, her nose can smell the smell of burning flesh and stinky…blood.

            It was blood.

Until the clouds was slowly moved away and begin to shine, she was startled. The scene in front of her had frozen her legs, causing her walked limply and looked around with wide eyes. A cold breeze suddenly blew upon them, causing the girl’s hair flew away to her backside.

Everyone, mostly who was lying on the ground were die and in pools of blood.

The Guardian (the injured young girl) was so shock that she could not able to say anything. The forests that surrounding them, although they were in ‘Power Shield’ were burn to ashes, some of the corpses were burn until it was unable to recognize anymore. However, most of the corpses were lying on the ground by or with weapons stabbed, slashed or cutting their bodies, blood splashing everywhere.

Men or women, young or not, all of them were killed in nearly the same state as other corpses. Most of them had their weapons just lying next to their dead body; broken or not.

It was a terrible sight!

Then several footsteps were heard, leading to the direction where the victims lay unmoved. The Guardian turned around and saw several other people who just like her, came into the place where they also had the same reaction as her.

“Is everyone alright?” It was one of the people’ voices, full with concern and worried.

“I don’t know,” She said. “With this kind of condition, it’s impossible to find any of the survivors of this terrible incident!”

“You’re injured!”

“Don’t worry about that,” She said coldly, as she walked away from the man that tried to stop her from moving. “We need to take care of this place at once…or otherwise…”

“Mizuno-sama! We found someone who’s still alive!!”

All of the Guardians were looking at one soldier, who was holding a bleeding man in his arms. Two teenagers; a boy and a girl quickly ran to him as they recognized who was the bleeding man.

“Shinji!” They cried. “Hey, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and help us!”

 “Search for the other survivors as well!” Screamed another Guardian with Yellow Earth insignia on his left chest.

“Report this matter to Queen Kirishima immediately! Tell her that it’s an emergency!” Screamed Mizuno as she looked at her unconscious friend. Somehow, she felt uneasy, for some reason.

“We found another one!!”

“Here’s as well!”

The soldiers finally found other survivors other than the young man as well. Mizuno looked at the scene; it was very bad. They not only lost some friends and comrades in the battle, they also nearly lost their love ones and families. Not to mention other people who lost those people in front of them.

“Is he alright?” Asked a Guardian with Red Mars insignia on her left chest.

“For injuries, I guess it’s OK, but the other option…” Said the other Guardian, who wore the Red- Purple Pluto insignia on his left chest. He was unable to finish his words, as he tried to check for the young man’s pulse. His reaction had make Mizuno remembered something as she rose up and quickly searching for someone else.

“Mizuno?” Asked the Mars-insignia Guardian.

“Ame-onna…” Everyone who heard her was shock.

“WHERE IS AME-ONNA!?” She shouted as she started to run, ignoring the pains and injuries on her body. “WHERE IS SHE?”

A woman in middle 20s appeared, with silky black hair that past her shoulders and reached her back. She was wearing the same uniform as the young girl named Mizuno wore before, but clean royal clothes; silver blue crown with Blue Star symbol on it, a long, blue coat that reached to her ankle but with short sleeves; with gold threads embroidered on her cuffs and collar. Her inner shirt and pants were blue with gold threads covered the motive of the shirt, with black high heel shoes as the match. A Blue Star insignia embalmed on her left chest and the black-gold sash around her waist fully marked her as royalty. She looked at the young girl whose ran wobbly, ignoring the injuries and the stares of others. She quickly moved her feet and caught up with the young girl.

“Where are you going? Your injuries…”

“AME-ONNA!” Screamed the girl Mizuno as she and the woman stopped on their tracks, looked at the scene in front of them.

A woman in early 20s, with jet-black hair that reached her back, slowly raised her head and looked with tears strained down her face. Laid not far from her was a body of a young man; unmoved, badly bleeding, and his clothes were torn apart. In the middle of pool of blood, it was obvious that young man…

Was death.

The woman called Ame-Onna, stared at the Guardians in front of her, dazedly before she muttered something beneath her lips. The words that she said, was nothing more than just words of a broken woman, who lost everything from her, at that moment…

Without any mercy from the fate.

Some people came by and went to the other survivors who were alive; the Guardians at the same time went to the other side of the ground zero, investigating the incident. Soon later, five men in black suits came by, but were stopped for a while. Mizuno, realized who they were, glanced at one of the people who came by with the other Guardians and gave him a signal which the man knew very well. He left and went to the group, before several minutes later they came in and gasped in shock, obviously too shock with the current view.

“Is everything alright?” She asked. She looked at the female Guardian, whom had a solemn expression on her face

“Bad news,” Said the woman as Mizuno lifted her head and stared at her with wide eyes. “The traitor already left this place, hiding himself from the detection of the Hazzard World.”

“This is terrible…” Both of them turned around as they saw a young man walked to them, said the words with horror and sadness. “How can it be like this, when we already received the premonition about the traitor’s movement?”

“Not everything can be predicted,” Said the young girl as she held her injured torso and slowly healed herself. Self-healing needs lots of energy, however if the progress was slow, it can make the user’s energy being generate itself. The man who was with her stared with amusement, but quickly replied to her.

“Are you saying that out former head was wrong? That you don’t believe in fate?”

“I’m not too blindly relying on fate and future since both of them can be changing at all, especially the future!” Snapped the girl angrily, and her voice was loud enough to be hear by the people who was under the Power Shield. “Although you people predicted that he’s going nowhere other than this area, I know it can be wrong since he’s not an ordinary person!”

“HE’S A _TRAITOR_ GUARDIAN!”

The stern and angry voice was echoing the area; it was obvious that young girl was angry at the lost and failure task she had to face. Her job was not only protecting the area and the people, but also to stop the enemies from doing anything that can caused harm to others or the balance of nature. However, she had to do it all alone; her friends who supposedly helping her were not there, they were send to the other place in order to heal themselves from the injuries and amnesia they had suffered.

She looked around and saw an old lady sat on a wheelchair, face looked shock. She knew who she was; that old lady was the former 12th head of a family, whose name and their rank were considered as the strongest onmyouji clan in Japan. However, the young girl’s face remained serious; she had no time to grieve or to cry. It never helped her anyway.

Crying never made you feel in the right way…

“You grandchildren are alright.”

A shock, speechless reaction.

“I’m sorry for dragging them with this; however this matter is not solving yet. Since this place is under your family’s properties, I hope you can forbidden outsiders from coming to this place until we received ‘green light’ from the Queen.”

 “But…how…”

“We’ll take care of these,” Said the young woman whose stayed at the girl’s side before, while the young man, who was actually related to the lady slowly came nearer. “I hope you can understand that under normal circumstances, this incident is too much for you people to handle it.”

The old lady lower her head as she nodded sadly, “I understand…”

“But what will happen to her?”

The females turned around and saw the woman called Ame-Onna, carried on the gurney as she stared helplessly; tears were still visible on her eyes. Her injuries were quite heavy, but the girl looked at her before she stared at the burn ground. Said nothing at all.

“No need for you to know about it.”

Silent.

* * *

 

Couples of hours later, nearly all of the survivors were taking to the hospitals, while the soldiers were busy taking care of the corpses. Mizuno was seeing stood aside from others, her eyes now were full of rage and anger. The other Guardians were also with her as well.

“Did they found anything related to this matter?” She asked.

“We don’t know very much, but we only confirm one thing,” Said the Earth-insignia Guardian. “That the main enemies are managed to escape.”

A sound of cracking wood was heard and it appeared that Mizuno had slammed her fist on a tree. It was cracked and nearly split into two, much to everyone’s surprise.

“Those bastards! I’ll never forgive them!” She hissed.

“Calm down,” Said the woman with Blue Star insignia. “Your condition is still weak.”

Mizuno just looked at him as she sighed. She touched her bandaged forehead; the treatment was the courtesy of the old lady and her family, for saving her grandchildren. She did not blamed her for what happened, since all that she knew was that the children were being kidnapped by a stranger and the young girl rushed there to save them…

Before the battle took place.

“So, what should we do? Tracking them now?” Asked a female Guardian with Neptune insignia on her left chest.

“NO!”  Everyone stared at the injured young girl. “We’ll settle those things later. Anyway, call other backups. There’s a lot of things to be done here,” She said as she turned around, looking at the sky.

“Although the battle was over…,”she said.

The others saw her too, but they remind silent. She just kept looking at the sky, and then turned away and started to help the others.

“No.” Everyone looked at her with question on their faces.

“I don’t think it’s over now….”She said. The others were silent as they followed their leader, leaving the area where everything had lost; family, love ones, friends, comrades, everything…

The dawn soon later appeared but the sun light was unable to touch the whole nature with its warm rays, as the rain slowly down poured and wetting the land of tragic incident all day, together with the cold snows that went down to the wet earth...

* * *

  **End of Chapter 01**

* * *

  **Cliffhanger! Sorry mina-san, love to continue this but I’m running out of time, got some urgent things to do! Since most of the mentioned characters (except the old lady that you know who!) are my OCs, I’ll explain this matter in the next chapter. Sorry for not able to make the situation happening, just couldn’t do it.**

**I hope that you people enjoy this story, and please read and review. Meet again in the next chapter. Ja ne. –Aoi Kitsukawa.**


	2. Unknown Circumstances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again.
> 
> As stated in the previous chapter, this story is orignally from FFN, and I did mention in some of my works about posting some of the stories there in this site since I won't be able to access the said site and update my stories anymore. 
> 
> The story is currently on hiatus, it's still unknown when I can update this story again, since currently lots of matters need to be deal with (real life matters). I post it here in case some of my readers want to find this story here.
> 
> Additional tags will be add if there is a need for them.

**X-Millennium Battle.**

A fanfiction by Aoi Kitsukawa.

**Disclaimer:** X-1999 is belongs to CLAMP, I only borrow the characters in the manga/ anime/ movie. Please enjoy reading it!

* * *

**Author’s Note:** Finally returned from having such a long time writer’s block! Ahaha, currently listening to Moon (English Version) –A Tokyo Babylon Image Song that I got from various sources. It’s really fit the story –it’s reflected the music of the people in early 90s (At that time, I’m just a toddler, barely 2-4 years old) and how the fashion style that time! Haha, I feel like I want to dance now!

But making this story also teaches me new things, like what exactly people wore during the early 90s, what kind of music and society at that, and many more. I guess something writing fanfiction also can teach us how to write stories from different aspects and themes as well. Not just love (especially some kind of stupid love story, sorry for the rough words!) story only.

Still not in our fav pairing –sorry, since I want to make some mysterious incidents happened so please be patience. Please read and review, oh, try to find Moon song at youtube! The music is reaaaaaaaalllyyyyy ‘happening’!

Special thanks to Yuri Warren and Ginga no Yousei for adding me into their alert stories. I really appreciate it! 

* * *

 

_Somehow, I can feel it._

_The darkness that was trying to invade this land again…_

_However…_

_However…_

_Why…Fate is being too cruel?_

* * *

 

**Battle 2:** Unknown circumstances   

* * *

  

             **_I don't know if I'm getting better or just used to the pain._**

* * *

 

**_Please, help me…_ **

_“What are you talking about? And what with this shikifuku(1)? Are you intending to do something?”_

**_I need your help…_ **

_“Oh no…don’t tell me that you’re going to..?”_

_**So you know…**_

_“Of course I know! You should know what kind of ability I got! You shouldn’t do this! Think about your brother, please~!!”_

**_I’m sorry...But, there’s no other way…_ **

_“There are! You just being selfish although it’s for the sake of your baby brother! Why you have to choose this way as a solution?”_

A silent.

A smile.

Tears strained down the face.

**_Please, don’t cry my friend…_ **

**_It’s the only way to save him…_ **

_“But you know the consequences! Do you ever think your brother will truly happy with this?”_

**_That’s why I’m entrusted you with this ‘vessel’…_ **

**_I know…you also love him._ **

A silent.

Shock.

**_I already knew from the beginning, but…at least, I also, want you to be happy._ **

**_Especially since you’re also…_ **

_“…”_

_“I’m going to miss you…so much…”_

**_I know._ **

**_But I can’t change my mind. At least, with this small amount of power…_ **

**_I want to protect my brother._ **

**_I’m sorry, but…_ **

**_If you manage to meet him, my dear twin brother…_ **

**_Please…_ **

_“I understand…I’m sorry for unable to help you…”_

A smile.

Disappears.

Tears.

_“I’ll…”_

_“I’ll keep our promise…”_

_“Even though…”_

_“I’ll be walking through thousands of thorns upon me.”_

Because the fate…

Had starting to connect with each other.

 

* * *

 

**_-Spring 1999, somewhere in Japan-_ **

 

Black eyes suddenly snapped; the owner of the eyes was a woman in middle 20s, sat up from her unrest slumber, as she took deep breathe. Beads of sweats slowly appeared on her forehead, before she wiped it away and threw away her blanket to her right side. She quickly grabbed a clean glass and poured a white water into it, before she drank it greedily. After finishing the water, she put the glass back on the small desk next to her bed, which also contained a jug of white water. She felt her throat was better than before, then stood up to the window before she opened it widely.

She was having that dream again, she thought, as she let the morning breeze kissed her face and flew away her long hair. Her jet-black hair, which has long bangs that seemed like hair that reached her side face (2), however she had tied up her other part of hair, which she tied it in braid and let it fell on her back. Such hairstyle seemed a bit strange, but she liked it anyway. It was more like her own trend mark than simply following fashion sense nowadays.

Her apartment was silent; of course, she lived alone at this luxurious place with the courtesy of someone behind her. She smirked as she looked at the medium whiteboard on the wall, with soft board as well. She checked through it and then she spotted a small note, and smiled slyly.

_Tonight; 10.45 PM._

_Asakusa, Sumida Park._

**P/S: DON’T BE LATE!**

            “Yeah, yeah, like I ever late before, old man,” She said as she left the board and grabbed her towel for fresh shower. She glanced at the window and looked directly towards the sky.

            Far away, she could see some small smokes floating at the air.

            “It’s begun,” She said.

            “Ten no Ryu –Nanatsu no Fuin and Chi no Ryu, Shichinin no Mitsukai; those battles will begun…”

            She looked in deep thought, slowly wondered what will happen in the future, but then shook her head.

            “I’ve got more things to do,” She looked at her bed where her cell phone was ringing with odd sounds. She knew who exactly was calling for her.

            “ _Those things_ which started happen lately and ‘that’ incident…Tracing that ‘traitor’ is already a pain in the neck,” She grabbed her phone and looked onto it. Her eyes narrowed with small stress.

**_We’ve got company, again._ **

**_-S. Shinji._ **

            ‘Crap!’

* * *

 

  ** _-November 1999, CLAMP Campus, Main Headquarters-_**

 

            Urgent footsteps ran up the stairs towards the headquarters room. Seconds later, a worried Yuzuriha rushed in through the opened doorway. "I'm so sorry. I rushed back immediately when I got your message on my phone. Is something the mater?" she asked.

The Ten no Ryu and Chi no Ryu surviving members –Kishu Arashi, Aoki Seichirou, Nekoi Yuzuriha, Shiyuu Kusanagi and Monou Fuuma were gathering at the seats in the HQ room, the place where once the Ten no Ryu gathered to discuss and searching for the ‘kekkai’ that will be attack by the Chi no Ryu. Now, they were there in such situation that people would never believe that they once were enemies.

Monou Fuuma –he was Shirou Kamui’s best friend and elder brother of Monou Kotori, Kamui’s childhood sweetheart. Due to the fate of the Promise Day, he was destined to be Kamui’s Gemini –the other twin star of Kamui, succeeding the role as the seventh Chi no Ryu. However, the consequences of the end of the Promised Day had left him and Shiyuu Kusanagi the only survivors in the group. The same thing happened on the opposite part as well. While the Chi no Ryu lost almost all of its members including their Yumemis –Kanoe and Kuduki Kakyou (he died on natural cause), the Ten no Ryu lost their three members: Arisugawa Sorata, Kasumi Karen and Hinoto.  Souhi and Hien, although were alive, still serving the next successor of Hinoto, although the identity was unknown and a bit weak than Hinoto.

The other survivors of the incident were Shirou Kamui, and Sumeragi Subaru.

Aoki shook his head to indicate that he was not certain either. Nokoru was in discussion with his assistances in another room, and all the members were waiting for his report. All they could do now was to wait. Lately, there was something that disturbing the survivors, however they did not what exactly happened until they had been contacted with Imonoyama Nokoru, the chairman of Directors Board of CLAMP Campus and were asked to come together to the HQ.

Minutes later, Nokoru walked into the room. The dark expression on his face was not assuring. It was the same to Takamura Suoh and Ijyuin Akira.

“I’m sorry for calling all of you so suddenly,” He said as all of them took a seat. “Actually there’s something urgent that I need to tell you people.”

“What is it, Imonoyama-san?” Asked Aoki. Ever since Sorata and Karen passed away in the tragic incident of the Promised Day, he had taken the lead to take care of the surviving members as well as the one who will be responsible on gathering information and actions. Besides, he and Kusanagi were the only adults who still alive, which making them acted like guardians to the younger members.

“Actually, Suoh is more knowledgeable about this,” He nodded to his friend as well as his private secretary.

“Did any of you people aware of the current situation now?” Asked Suoh as he held a little bit thick file.

“Do you mean about the news about molesting and murder cases of the school girls lately?” Asked Kusanagi as he took a glance at Yuzuriha and Arashi.

“Yes, but actually it’s more than that,” Said Suoh. “Although the news was currently on air, the truth was it started during the early spring this year, where three victims were found death in different locations.”

“WHAT?” Shouted Everyone. “So it’s already started from the beginning?”

“Yes, and unfortunately people who involved with this case categorized this as normal homicide case, but one of the ‘rare’ people found it quite disturbing,” He said as he took a photo from the file and put it on the table.

Arashi and Yuzuriha quickly turned their head away; it was a photo of a death girl who was raped and left in terrible state. Even the men felt a bit sick on their stomach, wondering how can human being could be so cruel. However, all of them looked again at the photo as they saw a Sanskrit word –‘On’ was written on the victim’s chest.

“A Sanskrit word…” Said Yuzuriha after the calmed down. “So that’s why you say it’s quite disturbing.”

“But you said… ‘Rare’ people…” Asked Arashi after Suoh took the photo back. “Who are they?”

“Have you people ever heard of Kotodama (3)?” Asked Nokoru this time.

“I heard about it, although it seems to be divided into two parts,” Said Aoki as he glanced at Yuzuriha and Arashi, the two priestesses from each shrine. 

“First of all, it is a Shinto-based concept, which literally means ‘word soul’. It means that words have their own spirit, and it contains the power of the things it stands for, so when you say the word (in the right time, place and method), you are summoning its power and giving life to the word itself. The other part is that it is a Shinto-derived practice; word spirit and refers to some spiritual state induced by words. It includes the idea that good can be brought about by correctly intoned ‘beautiful-sounding’ words and evil brought about by ‘ugly-sounding’ words or in correcting ‘beautiful-sounding’ words.”

“But what it has something to do with the cases?” Asked Fuuma.

“Because the one who reported this matter to us was a person known as ‘Kotodama-sama.”

“A Kotodama-sama?”

 “Yes, this person is also someone who’s undergo training in developing its psychic powers, regardless in Shinto or Buddha practice, and while the cases slowly gained the eyes of the society, the said person realized that each of the victims were wrote with the Sanskrit word ‘On’, thus starting to investigate the matter…” Suoh took out another paper and placed it on the table, this time everyone including Nokoru and Akira looked together as well. “This is what the person had found out.”

A gasp was heard and it appeared Arashi was shock to find out what was written on the paper. The men also, were so shock with the information they had informed from Suoh.

“A sacrifice ritual?” Asked Kusanagi.

“That’s right,” A male voice suddenly heard, causing everyone minus the girls and the three board men stood up and shielded them protectively. “It was not unusual in the practice of Black Magic, and some rituals request virgin ladies as a sacrifice.”

 “Who are you?” Asked Fuuma as he protectively stood at the front. Although he was no longer Kamui’s Gemini, he still possessed some strength to protect others.

“Don’t worry, it’s just an officer from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (4) (Keishichō),” Said Akira as he recognized the unknown visitor. “He’s one of the officers who are in charge with the cases we’re discussing right now.”

Slowly, but surely, the man came to the sight. However, what made the members gasped minus the board men were the appearances of the said man. He had a pair of lively emerald eyes, with a black-jet hair that cut in short and a bit messy, as well as his brown long coat that covered his dark blue suit. His skin however, was not as pale as someone that they knew, but the resembling appearances were very similar to each other.

“Su…Ba…Ru…San…?” Asked Yuzuriha as she was shock to see the superintendent’s resembled to the person that she knew.

The said person shook his head slowly, and looked at the young girl with sad eyes, “No, I’m not Subaru…”

“Then, you’re…”Asked Arashi, still in shock.

“I’m his cousin,” He said as he looked at Nokoru, Souh and Akira. “I am… his relatives in the Sumeragi Clan.”

“His name is Sumeragi Shinji, an elite superintendant of Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.” Explained Suoh as he looked the former dragons were now looking to him.

He knew he was put under unknown circumstances by the Kotodama-sama, but he also surprising himself as he mentally noted that he will sure to teach the word-user some lesson!

 

* * *

 

**_-Spring 1999, Aoyama Cemetery, Minami-Aoyama 2, Minato-ku, Tokyo-_ **

            Founding a death body of someone else was the least thing every human in the world would want to.

Especially her.

            It was one of the late nights of 1999, when several police cars were parking at one place somewhere near the Aoyama Cemetery at Aoyama-dori. Several policemen were scattered around the area where small bushes and trees were lively grown, creating small darkness around the area. Some yellow tapes had been placed at the area; their trainers to detect any missing evidence at the crime scene pulled dogs. Some people had gathered at that place, looking curious and confused.

            The cold breeze had not stopped them from kept on looking at the crime scene.

            A woman in middle twenties walked into the crime scene, bypassed the line pass that barred people from coming in. She had long black hair that reached her back with bangs that looked like hair reaching her side face; a pair of black visor was placed over her eyes, hiding them from the main view. Her blue-black coat and soft yellow scarf was not that revealed, but it was enough to show her sullenness and mysterious aura that came from her. She placed her hands into her pocket; her black high heels stepped on the snowy ground, making a small crush sounds. From her solemn and serious expression, it was obvious that she was not happy with the finding in front of her. Although it was dark and cold, however it was not enough to hide the horror scene in front of her. Her eyebrows knitted together, showed that she was curious as well as angry and hate.

            Lying in front of her, a body of young girl was found death and half-naked. Her clothes were tattered; her blouse was torn apart in the middle of her chest down to her navel, where several bite marks were clearly seen on her pale body, especially her half-covered breasts. Her head was turned to her right side, long brown hair that was wrinkled covered with dirt and snow. Her lips were purple and seemed wounded; her rapist was probably biting her lips at that time, while trying to force his kiss on her. Both of her hands were tied up and bruise, which has seen at some part of her body. The wrists were bleeding with ropes that wrapped around her small wrists, in a position of her hands had been hold upside. Her skirt was pulled up from her waist while her small pant had been pulled down; some blood where stained the woman’s undergarment. Dark blood was staining both of her tied legs, which later created a small pool of blood. Several cuts were seen on her body, and the most agony scene was the large bruise on her neck, showed that she was struggle to death after the painful moment. Her lifeless brown eyes were half-open, with some frozen tears in her eyes.

            Being tied up at the tree in the small forest near the graveyard, it must very agony to the death woman, as she was force into painful intimacy that finally leaded it to her death.

            The glasses woman sighed as she ran her hand over her front bangs, hardly thinking. The wheatear however, was luckily not very much to be worry about. However, there was a huge possibility that the corpse probably had been disturbed by other things such as animals or by the nature itself. However, aside form the people around her (obviously she was seen as commoners so the police did not take notice of her presence in the crime scene), she narrowed her eyes as she realized there was something INDEED wrong with the corpse.

            In the middle of the pale chest, a Sanskrit word ‘ON’ was written on it.

            She stared at the pitiful corpse, felt a bit disturbed when she suddenly heard someone was calling for her. Turning around, she saw one of the officers was walking to her with worried expression.

            “Shinji!”

            “Ah, you’re here,” He said as he let out his freezing breathe. On his right arm was a brown file. “Finally.”

            “Do you able to find out who’s our victim this time?” She asked a she took the file that being handed by the officer named Shinji. “I suggest your high-ups are well aware of my presence here?”

            “Yes, just like you expect,” He said as he glanced at the place where the poor body was lay, with some coroners gathered around it. “Well, isn’t our HQ was the one who asking for your help?”

            “Even though you’re a ‘Sweeper…”

            “And because we’re both from the same industry,” She said as she raised her head. “Although in different forms, actually.”

            “Don’t compare me with my dear cousin,” He folded his arms as he took a glance at the body. “Unlike him, I only developed limited psychic powers that couldn’t protect me whenever I’m in danger.”

The truth is, he was not very happy to see such sad finding; it hurt him so much that he always reminded himself of his siblings and cousins at his hometown.

            “Kawamura Shizuka, 18 years old. She is the third year student of Aoyama Gakuen High School,” Explained Shinji as he eyed his ‘guest’.

            “A high school student again…?” She said; there was sadness in her voice.

            He could see that she was a bit upset with the case; however, she tried her best to look professional in handling case, not by just some swing of emotion. The way in which she calmed herself, deeply in thinking before making decision.  

            “She’s the same ‘kind’ isn’t it?” She asked as she looked at the corpse that finally been put into plastic body. She could see the coroner had closed the victim’s eyes.

Shinji looked at her and nodded, “Indeed. From what we had gathered before, she was the same as the other two victims.”

“Do you already inform her family?” She asked as she turned around and started to leave the place.

“About that…” He was unable to finish his words as a sound of crying woman was heard at the scene.

“NOOO! My daughter noo~!!” Cried an elder woman, with an old man who was probably her husband.

“That’s…”

“Speaking of the devil,” Spoke the female sweeper. “That’s the victim’s mother. I don’t think she could bear the sadness anymore…”

“Yeah,” He said. “After such a long time waiting, your hope was crumbled terribly when you saw the death body of your beloved one.”

They saw the couple went to the death body and cried over it. Then a young boy at the age of 13 came by and went to his parents’ side, crying his sister’s name. It was a sad scene, everyone in the area watching the sad family crying for their lost one. The female sweeper sighed as she walked away from her colleague, went to somewhere else. She silently left the placed as she grabbed her helmet, wore it on her head and jumped herself onto her motorcycle.

 “You’re going back?” She turned around and saw Shinji stood at her back, hands in pockets. “I thought you have jobs tonight.”

“I did, but since you’re in such panic I just pass it to someone else.”

“It was a group work?”

“Yes, since it’s involving yakuza’s group. Well, like I care, it’s also a request from the Keishisou (Japan’s Police Force) at all, so I don’t concern it that much.”

“Do you feel the earthquake lately, Shinji?” She saw the sad and worried look at the man’s face, and immediately knew he was not fond with it.

“I don’t like it; not because of the Ten no Ryu and Chi no Ryu’s fight for the Final Day…”

 “Because it has something to do with your cousin, right?” He nodded with sad smile. She slowly turned her lips from sly to solemn; an obvious expression that she was not in favour with Shinji’s cousin.

“An ‘ahou’ is still an ‘ahou’ at all…” Shinji blinked his eyes, almost not believed what he had heard just now.

 “You still mad with him?”

“I’m not that stupid…” She said as she started the engine. “You know my abilities can make me knows what is going on around me even with such far distant.”

“He’s as dense as ever,” She said while the man nodded his head. “And that’s why you’re mad with him…”

She said nothing.

Both of the adults slowly separated themselves; Shinji for his work while the female sweeper was going home. As she pressed the gas slowly, her head was wondering about the latest victim of her case.

_What a pain in the neck, this case…_

She sighed as she slowly moved the vehicle out of the area. She tightened the grip on the handles, looking at her right and left before pressing again the gas and released the clutch.

_There’s_ something _that not right in these cases, actually. But I will find it out for sure!_

With that, she pulled up her right foot and released the gas, roughly went across the road with the loud engine that cut off the whole silence at the area of Aoyama Cemetery…

* * *

**_-November 1999, CLAMP Campus, Hospital-_ **

           

Somewhere at the hospital within the campus ground, one of the patients’ hands was slowly moved, slowly, revealed a weak but lively, amethyst eyes…

            As well as a pair of heterochromia eyes of a certain person, who has suffered from the same condition as the amethyst eyes’ owner as well?

 

* * *

 

**_ Hints or Explanations: _ **

(1) **Shikifuku** –a ceremonial outfit for onmyouji, a long white tunic with deep sleeves and a pentagram on the back. It is worn with traditional tabi and includes a rosary. In Tokyo Babylon and X-1999, both Hokuto and Subaru were seeing wearing this ceremonial outfit; however, their intention for wearing it was different. While Subaru wore it due to his work, Hokuto wore it for the sake of Subaru’s life when he was in catatonia state (refers to vol. 7 of Tokyo Babylon).

(2) The hair style that been mentioned here; it is more like Tomoe Hotaru’s hairstyle (Sailor Saturn in Sailormoon) but with long hair at the back. I already made the image for this person but will send the links later on.

(3) **Kotodama** or **kototama** (言霊, lit. "word spirit/soul") refers to the Japanese belief that mystical powers dwell in words and names. English translations include "soul of language", "spirit of language", "power of language", "power word", "magic word", and "sacred sound". The notion of kotodama presupposes that sounds can magically affect objects, and that ritual word usages can influence our environment, body, mind, and soul.

The ‘rare’ person that Suoh had mentioned was a Master of Kotodama, as the said person was the one who informed them about the strangeness in the cases. The identity of the person however, was not revealed.

(4) The **Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department** (警視庁 _Keishichō_ ) serves as the police force for the entire Tokyo metropolis. Founded in 1874, it is head by a superintendent general, who is appointed by the National Public Safety Commission and was approved by the prime minister. The Metropolitan Police, with a staff of more than 40,000 police officers and over 2,500 civilian personnel, manages 101 stations in the prefecture. It is the largest urban police force in the world. The number of inhabitants per police officer amounts to 290:1. The main building of the _Keishicho_ is located in the Kasumigaseki part of central Tokyo. Built in 1980, it is 18 stories tall, a large wedge-shaped building with a cylindrical tower; it is easily seen from the street and a well-known landmark.

This is the place where Sumeragi Shinji, Subaru’s cousin was working.

* * *

 

**End of Chapter 2.**

* * *

 

**I felt like a failure; although I understand what is going on within the characters, their relationships and circumstances, but I still failed to reveal and showed the characters properly. But yes, the death characters are all based on the TV anime, since in the manga the death people were only Seishirou and Nataku (spoiler!). I don’t know what to say anymore; it’s been awhile since I returned from writer’s block on other sections. Hopefully everything will be alright.**

**Please read and review everyone. Perhaps the next chapter, some of the confusions in this chapter will be revealed. Ja ne. –Aoi Kitsukawa-**


	3. Awaken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone and sorry for the very late update. It's been a very busy period when the school just open to new students and adjusting life as a full-timer staff.
> 
> Still not able to finish anything; only half of the progress. Maybe I should do some tests at the hospital...
> 
> Disclaimer: X-1999 is belongs to CLAMP, I only borrow the characters in the manga/ anime/ movie. Please enjoy reading it!

 

 

 

  _In order to protect what was being harm,_

_I returned back,_

_To the place where everything started,_

_Covered myself with chaos once again._

* * *

 

 **Battle 3:** Awaken.

* * *

 

**_It’s because I’m a person who defy the ‘Determined Destiny’..._ **

* * *

 

 

**_-Spring 1999, Tokyo Metropolitan Headquarters, Kasumigaseki-_ **

            “Sumeragi Subaru?”

            “Yes, I heard that he’s your clan’s 13th leader, as well as your close cousin,” Said the head of Crime Investigation Department –Yoshida Sotozaki.

            “But…why? I thought our case isn’t related with any kind of supernatural things; even you said the same things before chief,” Said Sumeragi Shinji, elite superintendent of Crime Investigation Department, Tokyo Metropolitan Police HQ.

            “Well, if we’re among those ordinary people…” Said the chief, as he slowly glanced at the right side. While his eyes trailed to the direction of the window, which the curtains were roughly blew by the wind, Shinji remained looking at his superior. “However, I believe you also feel the same strange sensations as I am and **_that_** person.”

            Following the trail of his superior’s eyes, then Shinji understood why the old man was asking for the service of the clan head. From the floating curtains, hid within the darkness of the shadows was a figure of a human being; the gender was unknown due to its ability to synchronize itself with the shadow, something that even Shinji was unable to do even he had ‘others’ abilities. The only thing that the two people could see was the sharp eyes that seemed to glow in the dark; blue light that illuminated the shadows that surrounding it. How that person could do it also beyond Shinji’s knowledge and ability.

            He was not that superior compared to the person in the shadow.

            “Oh, please don’t use the words ‘sensations’!” Claimed Shinji. “People would think otherwise sir!”

            “WAHAHAHA~!!” Laughed the old man. “it appears that you’re still innocent, Shinji-kun! I believe it was the right decision to let you stay here after your marriage with your young wife!”

            Shinji’s superior words however, brought a pain and sad smile on his face. Shinji, although he can be considered as seniors among the youngsters in the Keishishou, he somehow was not very comfortable to deal with something that related to his private life, nor his family. Realized his uneasiness, the shadow grabbed something at its side and threw it directly towards the old man, which hit him with a perfect score! (HUH?)

            SMACK!

            “ITTE!!” Yoshida held his bumped head while Shinji immediately stepped back, afraid with the second lash. “What the hell are you thinking you’re doing?” Oh, it appeared that the thing that hit him was a dustbin!

            “I appreciate if you don’t talk anymore about Shinji’s life, Yoshida-san,” Said the person, which appeared to be a woman. “You should know his decision to marry her almost got him expelled from this place and demoted his rank. Although only several people who knew about this, it didn’t mean you can make it as a joke.” The woman slowly went out from the shadow, but still, not revealed her whole self. Only a long braided hair, which was, tied up with a traditional hair tie (1) that giving Shinji some kind of nostalgic feeling.

            “No need to throw things to me!”

            “Serve you right for ignoring his feelings,” Somehow, Shinji felt grateful that woman was there, or otherwise he might be considering for not turning to work for the next day. The issue of his marriage and life with his wife was something taboo; he had bad experiences not only within the police force but also with his family as well. Both parties were against his marriage with a foreign woman, a gaijin. His family, except his younger brother and sister –Sayuri and Toshizou, could not accept the fact that he chosen a woman outside their ethnicity, while the police force against him for marrying a woman who could be a spy from the country which they have strain relationship with Japan.

Due to his decision, he was almost get demoted and sent to lousy countryside to fulfill the vacancy as some sort of punishment, if not because of the shadow woman and her acquaintances stepped in. It was a good thing that some of the high-ups, including Yoshida, whose were the same “type” as him and the shadow woman protected him. Therefore, his job was safe and he married his wife, although he suffered some cold treatment among the officers and was disowned by his parents.  However, Shinji had his own reason why he chose Hiromi (2; he called her in Japanese name) as his wife.

            “The reason why you call me here is to discuss the murder case that happens lately?” Asked the woman.

            “Yes.” Yoshida sat on his chair as he gestured Shinji to sit down as well. Good thing he had Shinji with him; that woman always gave him some sort of fearful presence that he did not want to be affected with. “I believe you can see what exactly had been craved onto the girls’ bodies?”

            “A Sanskrit’s word –‘ON’ on it. People with spiritual abilities are the only one who can see it.”

            “With the exception of ‘us’ as well,” Yoshida closed his eyes as he placed the case files on the table. Although it was only three victims, but the investigations somehow went back to square one. He was wondering what exactly made these girls being the target of these gruesome murders; not only they were kidnapped for days, but they also were raped before being killed. Then the bodies were left at the crime scene in such pitiful way. Since he was a father with daughters, he became worried as well.

            “But how can we connect this case with supernatural activities?” Asked Shinji as he placed a tray with three cups of hot tea on it on the table. “Did the official reports say something about some sort of ritual?”

            “I’ve found out that at the ground where the bodies were found, there’s some sort of magical circle on it,” The woman said as she put an envelope on the table, and apparently still not revealing her full self. “Since it was burned and the victims all were discovered at night, the police was unable to notice it. Don’t you realize the areas around the crime scenes are a little bit weird?”

            “Now that you mention it...it is. Like some sort of burning ground.”

            “Did you get a full picture of the circle?”

            “It’s a good thing the second victim’s was found in the area of Ebisu 4, Shibuya-ku, near Konkokyo Shrine. At the small forest that surrounding the shrine, I can take a full photo of the circle –like this,” The woman shoved the photo of a ground with several circles and burn marks. Upon seeing the photo, Shinji’s eyes went wide and he immediately stood up, causing the older man in front of him stared with shock expression.

            “This circle...!”

            “I bet you know it,” She said with seriousness in her tone. “Better you seek the reports from two years ago –the murder of two young girls in Kyoto. The circles that been used in this photo is...”

            “EXACTLY the same...!” Hissed Shinji.

            “Indeed.”

            “Did the ‘high-ups’ said something about this?” Asked Yoshida. Somehow, he seemed to know what exactly the two people in front of him were talking.

            “Well, right now no urgent orders from them because of the upcoming apocalypse, but they asked us to watch over the people here in Tokyo,” Said Shinji as he looked at his female friend. “So you want me to use this photo to find out what sort of rituals the criminal used in this case and Subaru’s assistance?”

            “If you can, please,” Said Yoshida as he looked at his female acquaintance that seemed not pleased with his suggestion. “I know this can be difficult to you two, especially for Shinji, but since this matter related with supernatural activities we better ask some help from the people whose specialize in this field.”

            “Hmm...Since that’s your suggestion as the police officer, I won’t against it,” Said the woman as she turned around and was about to disappear. “However...”

            “I doubt that ‘ahou’ can help much in this matter at all...”

            Shinji and Yoshida looked at the shadow that slowly vanished within the darkness, “Besides, I don’t want to see him even now...”

            Shinji closed his eyes and held out his breathe, “Well then, take care my friend.”

            “Keep in touch. I’ll inform you if something comes across my mind.”

            “Will do.”

            The silence impregnated the room, as Yoshida and Shinji stared at the window. Yoshida leaned against his chair and asked, “Did you know about the Final Day?”

            “Ah, I did...”

            “She’s slowly ‘awaken’...for the sake of that day...”

            A silence.

            “I have no idea that she also involves in this matter just like you, although indirectly...”

            “She will,” Yoshida paused as he looked at Shinji. His eyes contained questions towards Shinji. “She will, when the right moments come.”

            “So, not now...”

            “Yes.”

            “I see. So just like the other Seals...”

            “I just hope that she didn’t do anything stupid before the time comes,” Shinji sipped his now lukewarm tea. “Or otherwise the ‘leader’ would search me until the end of the earth ground, asking for her.”

            “I pray that everything will be alright...” Said Yoshida. “The future isn’t can easily been determine.”

            “I hope so...”

            The wind blew the area around the police HQ, and went across the night...

             

* * *

 

**_-November 1999, CLAMP Campus, Headquarters Hospital-_ **

 

_‘He looks so fragile…’_

This is the very first coherent thought that has entered the mind of Sumeragi Subaru since he had watched with a morbid fascination as he watched the unconscious teen lay on the bed.

It was echoed.

_Tit…Tit…Tit…_

The sound of the beating heart.

The sound of the heart-beating machine was clearly heard inside the room that placed the unconscious Shirou Kamui, the young boy whose destiny was to save or to destroy the earth, by choosing either ‘Present’ or ‘Changing’. The surviving members of each dragon, alongside the board members of CLAMP Campus and the superintendant officer –Sumeragi Shinji were silently watching as young boy breathed slowly in his sleep. As they were looking at the lying figure on the bed, an oxygen mask on his face as his support to live, each of them were unable to say anything.

            Subaru slowly raised his bandaged hand and touched the glass in front of him, as if he tried to trace down the jaw line of the poor boy that was still in deep sleep, in the same way he had done to the same person in the past. The differences were, while he is still alive and breathing, the young boy is placed inside ICU for further treatment. Unlike in the past, when he was still a part of Ten no Ryu, that boy was placed outside the room. He could not denied that even in his sleep and inside the room, his eye lashes looked long and recoil; something that he hardly see in any people he met.

            He looked at Kamui’s figure. His left arm was pinned with a packet of blood, with the blood type name on it; O, as far as he could remember that Kamui lost lots of blood after the tragic day of the year ended. Since he himself did not know what kind of Kamui’s blood type, he assumed that he received the O type because it was the universal type of blood that can be donated to any types of blood, but must received the same type as it. As he looked at Kamui’s hair, jet-black in colour, with a messy yet tidy hair, he looked at him with quite amazed. He wondered how the nurses also cleaned all the blood up on Kamui’s hair before bringing him into surgery. He even barely touched the hair in the past that now wrapped with white bandage; covering his wounded head.

            Subaru looked again. This time his eyes landed on his body. Although it did not visible in front of them, he positively believed that under the white fabric that wrapped his body, there were many bandages around his body. His left shoulder, his torso, legs, etc…

He could swear that time, Kamui is still in pain; inside or outside, although he did not woke up yet.

Faced with the reality of the situation, the reality of Kamui's lithe form surrounded by tubes and bandages…he came to realize that he wanted to sit at the others side and aware of the fragility of the equipment he reached for his hands.

            “How long did you and this boy are in coma?”

            Shinji’s voice had startled Subaru form his own thought as he, as well as others looked at the officer who is narrowing his eyes as he tried to think of something. Subaru, who is now sitting on wheel chair, half of his body was covered in bandages and plasters, even on his head and legs, stared at his cousin that he almost not meet ever since the death of his twin sister Sumeragi Hokuto.

            “Why?” Asked Subaru. “I...have lost track in time...”

            “Almost three months to be exact,” Said Nokoru, since he knew Subaru would not able to answer Shinji’s question. “Ever since that day, I suppose…”

            A sigh.

            “You never want to say anything, don’t you Subaru?” Shinji grabbed the handles and started to push the wheel chair. He pushed Subaru away from the room and led everyone, who has started to follow him out of the special care room. “Until you’re almost died, then you want to tell me everything, huh?”

            “It’s not your business,” Replied Subaru. At this time, they already reached Subaru’s room and Kusanagi, the last person who entered the room closed the door tightly.

            “It IS my business as well, you ‘ **ahou** ’!” He said sternly, before he realized that it was too late.

Urgh, he said that word!

            _That_ woman is going to kill him if she knew he has using her word to Subaru!

            “What did you say?” Asked Subaru, a bit irritated. Although deep inside of his heart, he felt some kind of déjà-vu…

            “As you can hear, I call you S-T-U-P-I-D, you got that? S-T-U-P-I-D!” Shinji said as he intentionally pinched Subaru’s injured face, which caused the young man shrieked in pain. Others stared at them with wide eyes; nobody would know that once the angst, cold and lone Sumeragi Subaru was being called as IDIOT!

            “Look, Subaru...” Shinji grabbed his cousin’s chin and jerked him forward; eyes fill with tense and a little anger. “If you’re saying that I know nothing about the apocalypse and your personal relationships between the late Sakurazukamori, then you’re wrong!”

            Subaru’s eyes went wide, shocked to find out that his secrets were spilled by his cousin. But who on earth knew his secrets? The Ten no Ryu had never met with Shinji, as well as the Chi no Ryu, so the only person who knew about his past relations with the Sakurazukamori was Kamui. However, that boy was not a type of person who will reveal others secret and currently in coma, so who on earth…

            “Subaru…” Said Shinji. “No need for you to figure out how did I know about this. As you ever forget, I also possess some onmyouji abilities although not as strong as you do. I’m a part of Sumeragi clan as well…”

            “However, I want you to stop torturing yourself. I know how much pains you’ve suffered because of what had happened in the pasts. But you have to move on!” Shinji grabbed Subaru’s hands tightly. “At least you have to remember, you’re not alone.”

            “How can you be sure, nii-san (3)...?” Said Subaru as he looked at his cousin with sad eyes. “You never encounter something like this…”

            “THERE YOU ARE! ALWAYS CLAIM THAT YOU’RE THE ONLY PERSON IN THIS WORLD WHO IS UNFORTUNATE FOREVER! Why are you that stubborn Subaru?” Shouted Shinji angrily, as he held his cousin’s shock face.

“Don’t you ever try to deny me young man! Do you think I do not know that you have inherited the title and powers as the new Sakurazukamori? You always choose something that will make your life in chaos aftermath!”

            There was a gasp from the girls, and some shock faces among the men. None of them knew that Subaru had become a new Sakurazukamori –an assassin who killed for the sake of the sakura flowers. How did Shinji know about was beyond their knowledge as well.            “I’m telling you this Subaru, because it’s matter your life as well! Do you understand that how much our clan against the Sakurazukamori? Especially you’re our head of clan, and grandmother’s grandson; if not because of her…”

            “What did grandmother do nii-san?” Asked Subaru, as he started to look worried.

Ah, finally this had managed to catch his attention…

            “You should know what would happen to the members of our clan if they did something against the rules and morality, right?”

            A nod.

            “Some of our relatives seem to realize the fact that you’re no longer the head of the clan and tried to get the title as the 13th Head of Sumeragi Clan; taking your position since you’re a Sakurazukamori. As a Sakurazukamori, you are officially barred from the Clan home by strict rules that were laid down by our ancestors. However, it was a good thing that grandmother had barred them from creating ruckus that will bring the unbalance power within the clan, so as far as I know, aside form the elders and… ** _some_ **relatives, the others are clueless about this matter. You know every person in this Clan, down to the youngest of the children, is taught to hate the Sakurazuka and most of all, the Sakurazukamori."

            “I know…” Subaru stared at the same emerald eyes as him, but filled with calm and mysterious aura; something that both he and Hokuto wondered if Shinji was a person full with mysteries.

            “Grandmother had thinking to bring you back to Kyoto before regarding this matter, however since you’re in coma until several days ago, I asked her to delay it. I asked her to wait and because of that, your presence was tolerated for the past few months because she felt that I should at least stay until you have recovered. I know that you actually worried about that boy Kamui,” Subaru stared at him with wide eyes. “So from now on, I’ll take care of you people until he’s awakened and you two get well.”

            “How do you know all of these things, Shinji-san?” Asked Yuzuriha who stood next to Arashi. “Unless you’re involving with the apocalypse as well…”

            “Well, I did actually, but not too direct,” Shinji let go of Subaru’s face and rose from the floor. “The case that I am investigating right now is somehow related to the event of the Final Day.”

            “How much of it that was related?” Asked Arashi.

            “I’m not sure about this as well…” Shinji looked at Nokoru as he tried to ask some help from the chairperson. “All that I can say is that there’s a third party who is interesting in the battle between you people.”

            “What?” Shouted everyone minus Subaru, although he was shock as well. “What do you mean?”

            “I can’t tell you people right not, it’s still confidential,” Shinji looked at Nokoru, Suoh and Akira who nodded their heads. “However, I’ll leave you people with some clues.”

            “Clues?” Asked Fuuma, this time. Shinji nodded his head.

            “So here are the questions. **No. 1:** **What exactly happened on the climax of the Final Day?** ”

            “Eh?”

            **“Second: Who are the people involved in the battlefield?”**

            Everyone started to look at each other.

            **“Third: How did you people survived at the end of the Final Day?”**

            How did they survive?

            **“Forth: Can you remember who and how your comrades passed away during the fight did?”**

            “Are you sure you’re asking the right questions here, Shinji-san?” Asked Aoki. “These sound weird…”

            Shinji just smiled weakly. He actually wanted to tell them about it; how did he knew about the apocalypse, the relations between Subaru and Sakurazukamori, everything, but someone had forbidden him from telling them the truth. He knew why; that person was a part of the people who indirectly involved with the battle, however when the final battle took place, that person directly involved into the destiny that determined the fate of Earth.

            “ **Fifth: Do you remember…something** _unusual_ **during the fight?”**

            THAT question suddenly hit everyone. Subaru, upon hearing the last question, suddenly felt like his head was hit with a steel hammer. He quickly grabbed his head; the pains are too unbearable. He could barely hear other people’s voices; he bet that the other people whose fate just likes him also suffered the same condition as him. Slowly, his vision started to blur, but what he heard after that was shocking him more than before.

_“If we really wish to stop the killing of others…then why did we lose sights of what’s important to us?”_

 

_“What is your hidden wish?”_

 

_“My wish is…”_

 

**Something is not right…**

 

_“Gomen nasai…but I won’t let you kill this boy!”_

 

**THIS IS…!**

 

_“So, you also have a wish…?”_

 

_“You must be shock, right? Because you can’t find the reason why you didn’t resemble someone from my life!”_

 

_“Who are you?”_

 

_“I’m just a replacement…”_

 

**There were some crashes. Where is everyone?**

 

_“So, we meet again dear enemy.”_

 

**Who is this?**

 

_“I won’t let you interfere with your wick plans, you traitors!”_

 

_“Oh, so you’re going to defeat them? How ironic…”_

 

_“AME-ONNA!”_

 

**“!”**

 

            “SUBARU!”

            Subaru opened his eyes and stared widely. He was sweating and he took some time to realize that Shinji held him in his arms, his wheel chair fell on the left side and it seemed he had fell together with it. He also realized that the surviving members were on floor, each of them were sweating and held their head.

            “Are you alright?” Asked Shinji as he leaned Subaru against his chest.

            “I don’t know...but...”

            “I think...something had happen, during the fight...”

            Shinji looked alarmed and then he looked at the chairperson and his friends. The three of them looked uncomfortable either.

            Nokoru pushed a button at Subaru’s hospital bed and not long after that, came some nurses into the room. Nokoru told the nurses what had happened (without the real reasons to tell of course) and took the collapsed dragons into ward. After Shinji placed his cousin on the bed and waited until Subaru fell asleep, he slowly left the room and met with the three people at the outside.

            “How’s it going?” Asked Shinji.

            “It’s fine, some of them are having the same condition as Subaru-kun,” Said Nokoru.

            “But,” Said Suoh. “From Fuuma-kun and... Kamui-kun, I wonder if they remember anything from that day.”

            “Both of them received the direct ‘surprise’, but the impact of the fight seems to make them...suffering amnesia for a while,” Akira said as he glanced at the room that now contained the surviving dragons. “I’m sure ‘ ** _that_** ’ woman would be alert about this as well.”

            “She’s involved into the fight at the moment the fight reaching its climax, and what happened after that is what makes everyone whose still remember it in nervous until now,” Shinji shook his head, looked very worry. “And Subaru didn’t realize the big change within himself as well.”

            “He didn’t realize it?” Asked Nokoru, shocked.

            “Obviously, he didn’t. Except something unusual happened during the fight, and I couldn’t tell him that grandmother knew about “this” problem as well.”

            “Well...we still don’t know what kind of spell was used that time.”

            “Ah...She DID tells me about the spell but...” Suoh trailed off, he looked embarrassed while Shinji, Nokoru and Akira looked at him with curiousity and strange at the same time. “...but she asked me not to mention it to everyone else; she wants to say it by herself.”

            “What is it? What exactly happened that time?” Asked Shinji as he grabbed Suoh’s hand. “I swear I won’t tell anyone.”

            “Better you do,” Suoh’s face turned a little bit red. “Because if you not, she’ll kill me for sure!”

            “So, what is it?” Asked Akira. Suoh gulped hard, and with red face, he whispered to the three men with a very, very, low voice. After that, he received the responses that he already thought would happen.

            “YOU SAY WHAT?”

            “Shiii~! Keep it down you know!” Said Suoh, nervously. “She said that it was an accident; blame it to her ‘Photographic Memory’ (4) ability! And right now, she’s been dealing with this matter as well!”

            “But...but for such kind of spell...? What on earth she was thinking at that time?” Said Shinji, disbelieved.

            “Don’t blame her for everything, Shinji-san,” Said Nokoru after calm down. “I guess she really wanted to do anything in order to change the future, but unfortunately it turned out like this.”

            “Could it be that she’s still not recovered yet from _that_ wounds yet?” Asked Akira, which earned him glances from the other men. “Both her and Shinji, are the two survivors from that ‘incident’...”

            “I guess so...but,” Said Shinji, trailed off. “She never let herself to be protected by others...”

            Akira, Sokoru and Suoh looked at Shinji with sad and concern eyes, “When she awaken herself during that battle, she left immediately and told me to protect the other ‘Power Shields’ which we, the ‘special’ people could created and protect with out lives. Although she knew that she will be fighting against Subaru...”

            “She still said like this:

**_“It’s because I’m a person who defy this so-called ‘Determined Destiny’.”_ **

**_“I won’t let myself to be controlled over something that people just foresee it but doing nothing...”_ **

**_“That’s coward...!”_ **

 

            “I guess I understand why she’s despised and hate him Subaru now...” He said as he chuckled weakly. “It’s because he never let himself to be healed, accepting the fate easily and doing nothing to change everything... She despites men who couldn’t do anything while actually they can change it. She’s not that soft-heart person that much.”

            “I bet this is about him and the Sakurazukamori (5), right?” Said Nokoru. “When the Rainbow Bridge fell down and then Subaru-san disappeared, Kamui-kun seemed so sad.”

            “And then when we finally found him, Subaru-san was in the side of Chi no Ryu,” Said Akira. “It shocks us as much as the Ten no Ryu as well. But her reaction was unexpected; she just said him as ‘ahou is still an ahou at all’ like that, ha...”

            “She’s an independent woman, Akira-kun,” Suoh said to Akira. “But because she’s very independent, she had to face hardship all over by herself...”

            “That woman with the name means ‘Tears’ knew this would happen, and despite her defy-destiny act, she accept this one without hesitation...”

            “For the sake of protecting what’re precious to her...” Shinji finished Souh’s sentences, face looked sad.

            Shinji understood that woman more than others could. Although he did not involve entirely during the battle, he managed to be into the battle when something DID went wrong. Something that really disturbing his mind as well as the three gentlemen, since what happened next was beyond their imagination and knowledge. Why, of all things, _those_ people must be there ruining everything?

            She has awakened, but...

            She will never taken back what she had said during that battle, that actually hurt him more than anyone else if not his stupid cousin Subaru.

            But he doubt Subaru would ever realized that pain.

            Never.

* * *

**_-November 1999, Fudosan, somewhere in the neighbourhood, Tokyo-_ **

           

She accidentally cut her finger as she was cutting the apple on her hand. 

The sweeper lady stared at her injured finger with emotionless eyes.

She looked at the red, thick blood that slowly flowed from her wound. She just stared expressionless, before she brought it to her mouth and licked it.

            It tasted iron, cold…

            Sick.

            She looked at the window as she heard the sound of rain down poured. She went to the sink and then washed her cut; letting the cold, moving water washing away all the red blood that strained her finger.

            She felt like dead.

            She remembered the scenes after the end of the tragically battle between the two dragons, where the areas in Tokyo were mostly in state of destruction. How can she still survived after what had happened-she also received two fatal blows from the Kamui the Gemini (6) was out of her realization, since she was too concern on the matters of the surviving Ten no Ryu, especially that young boy Kamui. Immediately she called the youngest son of Japan’s no. 1 zaibatsu –Imonoyama Nokoru for help, which he gladly sent with him and the other two, came along as well.

            The scene where she was with the chairman and the others were discussing what had happened the fate of the surviving dragons of both sides. Kasumi Karen and Arisugawa Sorata had passed away in the tragic battle, Fuuma has returned to his original self, but suffering from the same fate as the other survivors. With Tokyo at the edge to fatal destruction, everyone was in deep worried and uneasy.

            It appeared that the superintendent Sumeragi Shinji was there alongside Nokoru, Akira and Suoh.

            The moment where they found out how much damages the young Shirou Kamui had suffered, was something that she never accepted as something comfortable...

            Nobody will accept it of course.

* * *

 

**_-Flashback: The Evening of the Final Day, summer 1999, CLAMP Campus Hospital-_ **

 

_"He has suffered severe lacerations to the legs, upper torso and his arms. Thankfully, most of the cuts required only a few stitches to seal them again. However, the cut he has received beneath his left shoulder and the impact he received to his head are of more concern. The blow to the head has been enough to render him unconscious and we shall need to do a C.A.T scan before we can say if there has been any lasting damage.”_

_The adults looked very worried, and Sumeragi Shinji, who stood next to the silent woman asked what the aftermath of the fatal cut on Kamui’s._

_"As to the cut…at the moment it seems as though he might loose his ability to control his hand since the muscle was cut through it. However, we are in the early stages and he may yet recover his hand’s strength."_

_"Then he is going to live? Despite all of his grave injuries?" Shinji enquired._

_"At this point in time it is difficult to say, he lost a significant amount of blood before he got here and he has yet to regain consciousness. However, his pulse rate has stabilized and he is showing good brainwave activity, both of which are positive signs at this time."_

_"Can we see him?" Nokoru enquired._

_"Usually we do not allow visitors within our ICU facilities, I have, however, been informed that on this occasion we are wavering this rule. I would request that there should only be one visitor at a time. And if can, his relative or guardian since he’s still underage..."_

_"I will go." This was Imonoyama Nokoru’s authority and for a moment, there was an anticipatory silence as we wait for someone to object and then the doctor smiled and says, "As expected from our Richijou, Imonoyama-sama. Please, follow me."_

_Once they are gone, the silence comes again and the silent woman with injuries that had been treated knew that there was nothing to do now but wait…_

_…and hope._

 

 ** _-End of flashback-_**  

* * *

           Hope...

            She wondered if someone like her can prays for small hope for that poor boy, that time.

            Blood from the small cut was mixing with the water as she remembered a scene where she saw the same blood, the same water, mixed and flew together in one way, strained through the rivers where lying corpses stumbled against the riverbank…

             ARGH!!

            She shook her head immediately.

            She felt like to punch the window glasses.

            Yet, her face showed nothing.

            Was she insane?

            Perhaps, it might be right.

            She might be insane.

            Ever since ‘that’ incident, she never be able to do something that once she was able to do.

            Her heart might totally destroyed…

            And she really wonder…

            Did this still mark her as a human?

 

* * *

**_-November 1999, CLAMP Campus, Headquarters Hospital-_ **

 

His hands twitched as a sign of his awaken.

There were certainly some voices, but he couldn't get himself to recognize them as his head felt so heavy that the words spoken seemed incoherent at the moment. His body was stiff and he couldn't seem to move, so he slowly tried to move his fingers, letting the blood circulate and making him take control of his body again.

When he finally felt a little bit of strength coming to him, he slowly opened his eyelids, and then squeezed them shut again as the light reflected in his eyes was blinding that it almost hurt. His weak amethyst slowly opened its lids again, slowly accepting the lights that almost blind his sight.

He never realized that a single tear fell down on his face.

Because of one thought that he absent-minded heard at the moment he awoke...

 

_‘Therefore, I wish that I have never met you at all...’_

 

* * *

**End of Chapter 03**

* * *

 

 

**_ Hints or Explanations: _ **

(1) **The traditional hair rope** –Actually, I don’t know what its name in Japanese, or what exactly the way to call it, other than calls it as a ‘hair rope’; what a sad way to explain it. It appears in thick round rope but ended either with end-knot or with some ‘ponytail’ knot style (Aaargghh! SO hard to explain it!). Usually it can be seen in any samurai manga, or for easy way, read manga Burai, where the main character Saitou Hajime wore it to tie up his hair.

The woman whose hiding within the shadow during Shinji and Yoshida’s conversation was wearing this rope that tied up her long, braided hair. For Shinji, it gave him some kind of traditional feeling of Japanese women.

(2) **Hiromi** –If any of you had read Tokyo Babylon vol. 6, you people must have seen the name ‘Hiromi’ at the last chapter of the volume. Although it probably not the real name or the name that Hokuto used to call her, I believed the gaijin woman who spoke beautiful Japanese (according to Subaru) was named Hiromi. 

(3) **Why did Subaru call Shinji as ‘nii-san’ (elder brother)?** –Originally, Shinji was born several years earlier than Subaru and Hokuto, three years to be exact. Although Subaru was a head of the clan (in this chapter his status somehow was unknown due to Sakurazukamori status), Subaru calls him as ‘nii-san’ as a sign of respect towards Shinji. It also can be explain why Shinji acted as an elder brother to Subaru in this chapter, such as yelling him for being stubborn and caring him despite Subaru is a Sakurazukamori.

(4) **Photographic Memory** –Eidetic memory, commonly referred to as photographic memory, is a psychological or medical term, popularly defined as the ability to recall images, sounds, or objects in memory with extreme precision. The word eidetic, referring to extraordinarily detailed and vivid recall not limited to, but especially of, visual images, comes from the Greek word εἶδος (pronounced [êːdos], eidos, "seen"). While a person with photographic memory will very precisely recall visual information, a person with eidetic memory is not limited to merely visual recall – theoretically they can recall other aspects of the event including sensory information that is visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory and olfactory, as well as other dimensions. Most discussions end up conflating eidetic memory with photographic memory, because the discussion tends to shift toward "eidetic imagery" which is basically the portion of eidetic memory that is visual in nature.

The one who possesses this ability are actually Imonoyama Nokoru (refers to chapter 11 in CLAMP Gakuen Tanteiden, mentioned by Takamura Suoh), and the one is the woman who apparently using some sort of spell during the Final Day, which identity was a secret between Shinji and the three Boardman.

(5) **Sakurazukamori** – "Guardian of the Cherry Blossom Burial Mound". The assassin who uses Onmyoujutsu to kill who threatens Japan. This Sakurazukamori mentioned by Nokoru was the late Sakurazuka Seishirou.

(6) **Kamui the Gemini** –This one is referring to Kamui of the Chi no Ryu. I was so lazy to call his long name so I called Fuuma like that. Haha!

 

* * *

**It’s finally done! I’m very sorry for the late chapter since I’m having my final exams! Good thing it was a short semester so I got only two papers to deal with (maximum courses to be taken are three. Ahaha, one down one to go!). I hope that for the reviews since I tried my best to finish this chapter; sorry if any of you are confused after read this story. I really didn’t mean it.**

**I’m too busy lately so next chapter will be kind of late. Please read and review,** **I hope that for the reviews and sorry for the errors.**

**Thank you.**

**-Aoi Kitsukawa-**


	4. The Start of Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was update in FFN up to 4 chapters and I will post until Chapter 4. I don't know when the next chapter will be update, despite the said chapter actually half-finish.
> 
> Special thanks to ShePearl-san for leaving a kudos.

**X-Millennium Battle.**

A fanfiction by Aoi Kitsukawa.

 **Disclaimer:** X-1999 is belongs to CLAMP, I only borrow the characters in the manga/ anime/ movie. Please enjoy reading it!

 **Summary:** Semi AU and Continuation. At the climax of The Promised Day, the battle between the two dragons was interfered by two groups of strangers where Subaru’s power as Sakurazukamori had been sealed! How can he and the other dragons react to the aftermaths? Who are these people whom claimed themselves as Guardians?  

* * *

 

 **Author’s Note:** I delete some of this notes since it's not suitable for the current time.

Regarding Kamui’s eyes, I found out that most of the authors used amethyst as his eyes colour, although it appeared to be blue in CLAMP’s artworks. As in the second and third chapter, I used amethyst as his colour, but starting this chapter and so on, I used blue as his eyes colour. In addition, starting this chapter other OCs will appear and the story might be confusing since some of them had certain resembles with X characters. Can’t blame it; I only knew the movie before I got the manga and anime!

Special thanks to **Ginga no Yousei** for her favourite story and **redQween** for her author’s alert as well as others who kindly review, alert and fav my story. You people made me happy dear!

* * *

 

 **Pairing:** mainly Subaru Sumeragi x OC, and a little bit of Subaru/Kamui.

 **Genre:** Fantasy x Suspense x Tragedy x Hurt x Comfort x Romance x Mystery x Supernatural

* * *

 

 

_Life is full of mysteries,_

_Although I don’t want to admit it._

_Was it true that we have to accept this fate?_

_Ever since 'that' incident,_

_She was never able to do something that once she was able to do._

_At ‘that’ time,_

_Her heart might destroy…_

_And she really wondered…_

_Did this still mark her as a human?_

 

* * *

  **Battle** **4:** The Start of Chaos.  

* * *

 

 

  ** _The only things that we have to do are to prepare ourselves for the next destruction..._**

**_As well as to protect what is important to us._ **

 

* * *

 

**_-November 1999, Somewhere in Tokyo city, Japan-_ **

 

Somewhere in the dark city of Tokyo, several shadows were running away from several men that kept following them. They tried to chase the shadows from escape by taking another junction and ran away but as they reached the corner, they realized that the shadows met the end of the street.

“You guys won’t go away from this!”

            When they turned around, several dark shadows that were running away from them suddenly turned around and released several attacks on them. It was so fast, and many of the men were unable to protect themselves, being shot and fell on the ground. One of the people fell on the ground a little far away from the others, bleeding badly. It was too late to run away as the shadows were cornering him around.

            “Too bad, you’re lost in this ‘game’,” Said one of the shadows as he laughed evilly.

            “You’ll never get away from this,” Said the injured man. “Nataku-sama (1) will track and kill you for sure!”

            “We’ll see…” Said the shadow as he smirked.

He felt that his life would be end, as one of the shadows raised its hand and suddenly…

            “AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH~!!”

            A loud scream was heard, and several minutes later, everything was silent.

            But not that long.

            A loud gasp was heard as all of the shadows turned around and saw a woman with long, jet-black hair with a pair of blue eyes looked at them with wide eyes. Realized that their crime had been seen, they tried to attack her when one of the shadows raised his hand, causing all of them stopped moving.

            Without hesitation, the woman quickly ran away in fears.

            “Why do you stop us? She sees us!!” Claimed one of the shadows.

            “Let her go,” Said the shadow who appeared to be their leader. “She’s not someone that you need to kill since nobody would believe her words, you know. And by killing her would only attracting the attention of the Hazard World.”

            “What should we do with these bodies?” Asked one of them as they stared at the bleeding bodies that lay on the ground, unmoved.

            Smirked evilly, the leader said, “I have a better idea about this. Let’s just say…”

            “It’s our greetings for _them_ to join our MASQUERADE party!”

            As for the shadow group was laughing their heads off, unknown to them there were three shadows watching them from far away at one of the high buildings. The shadows looked like a group of young people –one of them had a shape of young woman in middle twenties, while the others were a tall man and a young boy –probably in the age of 10; all of them were hidden under the darkness of the night. The three of them were silently watching the shadows that slowly vanishing themselves within the darkness, when the young woman spoke after the long silence.

            “What’re they said about this ‘masquerade’ party? All that I can see is they killing all the ‘soldiers’ and left one alive,” She said as she let the cool, strong night breeze blew against her face, making her short elegant hair went to her side roughly.

            “I don’t know what exactly they are talking about, but of course it must be one of their hidden agendas,” Said the tall adult. He took something within himself and apparently pulled out a cigarette. He was about to search for his lighter when suddenly the young boy stood in front of him. He looked at him and realized that, at his point and middle fingers, appeared to be a flame. He smirked as he let the boy lit the cigarette, and then stepped back as if nothing was happen. The guy smiled as he smoked, “Thank you for the flame.”

            “You shouldn’t take cigarette too much. It can harm your body.”

            Both the woman and man stared at the boy with wide eyes before they looked at each other. The young boy, whose aura seemed to be older than his age, stared at the adult as asked, “What?”

            “No, nothing…it’s just that…” Said the woman.

            “It’s a little bit nostalgic, that’s all,” Said the man as he took a deep breathe. The woman stared at him. _‘A little bit déjà-vu, I suppose’_ , he thought.

            “Why?”

            “Because in the past, there’s a young boy who’s saying the same things as you are to me.”

            “So that’s explaining it.”

            “What do you mean, Itsumi Junya?” The woman asked the young boy, whose name was mention.

            “Perhaps that’s why our ‘mistress’ summoning you two because of the same reason.”

            The moon slowly revealed itself from the dark clouds, and somehow its light fell a little bit near to the boy. It had made Junya’s eyes; a pair of hazel eyes shone brightly in the dark, somehow fascinating the two adults in front of him. What a beautiful eyes, they thought, that somehow it seemed manage to challenge someone with a pair of emerald eyes, matched with its pure soul.

            “The reason?” Asked the adult.

            Junya just smiled as he looked at the male adult, “Maybe you should ask her why. After all, you just be with us for four months only.”

            “I see…” He grinned as he blew the smoke out of his breathe. “She did treat us kindly, but I wonder why did she take me in from the very beginning?”

            “Perhaps you already know the answer,” Replied Junya. “So why bother to ask again?”

            “You’re very intelligent for a 10 year old boy like you.”

            “I’m **_older_** than my appearances, to be honest old man,” Smirked Junya while the woman chuckled and the man pretended to be angry.

            “So then…” Said the woman. “What should we do now? Tracing them? Or kill them?”

            “Hey, that’s harsh young lady,” Said the adult.

            “I suggest…” Junya raised his right hand and something appeared on his palm, revealed a small pulp –a black baby wolf. “Let’s send our ‘Anicrest’ to investigate what exactly happen, nee?”

             “That’s a good idea Junya,” Said the woman as she also raised her hand and a small kitten appeared on her palm. “By the way, why did she choose my Anicrest as a CAT?”

            “That’s because it’s suitable with your personality, _Kitty-chan_ ,” Teased the adult as he lifted up his left hand and an eagle appeared on his arm.

            “How mean! And you still got your bird!”

            “Don’t be jealous!”

            “Mouu~!!”

            “Hahaha~!”

            The three of them shoved their hand to the air, and with the same movement, the three animals that they called as ‘Anicrest’ jumped into the air and immediately disappeared. After that, a sound of ringing cell phone was heard and Junya pulled it out from his pocket pant. It appeared that it was their mistress and her order to them was to retreat and let the animals to do their job for them.

            With that, the three silhouettes immediately jumped from one building into another, leaving their tracks vanished within the darkness of the night…

 

* * *

 

 

“It’s time.”

            A pair of black, mysterious eyes that was covered with glasses narrowed as the owner of the eyes lifted its head and stared at the outside scenery. It was a young girl, however she was wearing a male school uniform despite she was a female. Her short jet-black hair which bangs were cut in the middle moved slightly as her head, making her more looked like a boy. Her other companions, two girls and four boys were looking at her with concern and curiosity in their eyes.

            “It’s already begins?”

            “Perhaps…” The glasses girl looked down before she looked at the outside window again. “…or maybe it’s already starts.”

            “I bet Nataku already sends us the news,” Said a boy with glasses. “And I believe it’s already the bad news as usual.”

            “Indeed,” She said as she threw a piece of paper which the glasses boy caught it without even turning his body. “Almost all the Fifth Unit members of Magician Army were killed yesterday, leaving one survivors all alone.”

            “What is his name?” Asked a girl with long, shiny-silk black hair.

            “Ibuki Takuto,” Said the glasses boy. “Right now he’s in CLAMP Campus Hospital, since he was near the area of Tokyo Bay.”

            “Isn’t that campus was built near Tokyo Bay?” Asked another girl, which wore a red hair band over her head. “Well, if we look from our world’s map, it’s only the ports and some area of industrials around it. Since this place is totally different from ‘that’ dimension, we have to have a map for this mission?”

            “If you don’t want to be confused,” Said the glasses girl, which apparently was the leader. “Except me, none of you had gone there in the first place. Besides, our world and that dimension is almost the same.”

            “Except the people, certain places and the events that happened there,” Said another boy with messy black hair and energetic black eyes. “And the ‘incident’ that took our friend’s life away –Itsuki Amemiya-chan, happened when all of us were suffering from the aftermath of our last battle and amnesia –that was two years ago! Are the enemies the same one with this mission?”

            “Apparently yes, Jin,” Said a boy with short bangs on his eyes sides. “The only things we didn’t know are why did they appear again and why now? Besides, our flow of time is not the same with them…”

            “But the years gap where I was leading ‘that’ battle is almost the same,” The leader slammed her hand on the table which shocking everyone in the room. “If we’re following their flow of time, it’s been two years since then, and our time is almost three years! The age gap isn’t that big!”

The last young man in the group –a person with gentle black eyes and short black hair with bangs cut in the middle, left with some strays between the side bangs, held her hand gently. He knew that girl was not comfortable with their mission. After all, the battle that she had mentioned had killed her good friend, and none of her friends was there to help.

            For the sake of protecting her friends who were injured and suffered from amnesia, she chose to fight alone.

            “There’s one more thing that you people need to know, since it’s been bothering me and Vina as well.”

            “What is it?”

            “The issue of the successor of our ‘dark’ powers.”

            “WHAT?” Shouted the others.

            “I thought this matter is already ended with YOU as the last successor!” Shouted the glasses boy.

            SMACK!

            “Idiot!” She said as she cut the boy’s face with her bare hand, resulted him wailing in pain!

“Just because I closed ‘that level’ that doesn’t mean it can be seal forever!”

“Did Vina know about this matter as well?”

            “Vina had told me before, that she was also like me, thought that after her succession, there will be no one to inherit the powers, but her thought went wrong. It ended up with me as the third successor; we have to understand this power isn’t something people can easily obtain –the power itself is searching its successors!”

            “So you mean, there’s someone in the X Dimension (2) who possesses the same power as yours?” Asked the red hair band girl.

            “Aah,” Said the glasses girl. “And apparently it’s not a positive thing either. She’s suffering from the aftermath of the fight, and had been fighting those ‘fears’ ever since then.”

            “She’s…” Said the young boy who held her hand before. “The same position as those people right? The one with the connection to the Ten no Ryu…”

            “She’s taking that ahou’s position!” Everyone stared at her as if she was saying something idiot. “That’s what she called _him_ –don’t blame everything on me guys! That person is the first person who loses his position! And I have to admit it that what she’s saying is right!”

            “So what should we do, ‘Leader’?”

            A smirk.

            Eyes that looked with glints of dark sinister and cynical.

            Which somehow, it strangely brought comfortable feelings to the other teenagers.

            “We’re going to the X Dimension,” Placed the glasses on her eyes, she looked at the sunset outside the window. “We already receive the order from Leona though…”

            “Alongside with the ‘final’ order…”

            “Indeed…!”

            With that, the conversation was over, leaving only the sounds of walking footsteps that were leaving the room, which was once occupied by these strange teenagers…

 

* * *

 

**_-November 1999, CLAMP Campus, Left Wing of the Headquarter Hospital-_ **

 

_A rising wave of nausea forced her to run from the bed into the washroom located just inside the small white room._

 

It was the third time this week. Arashi wiped traces of vomit from the corner of her mouth and flushed the toilet again. She rinsed out her mouth and spited out the foul tasting vomit.

 _I must have caught some stomach bug or something…_ She thought. _I should see the doctor soon…_

Arashi washed her face before wiped it with her now-cold hands; she felt a sudden fear started to rise within her heart. It was almost two weeks. Almost two weeks since she started to feel weird. Her body felt different, very different. She started to feel tired more than usual, her sleeping patterns slowly went away from the usual routine, always threw out every morning, and she accidentally bumped her breasts with her arms when she raised them to clean her face, and she winced.

 _Why the heck are they so sore? Urgh, and they feel like they're going to spill out of my bra…_ She don't remember doing anything physically taxing. She and the rest of the surviving dragons were submitted into the hospital once again, almost two weeks ago, when the current Sakurazukamori –Sumeragi Subaru minus Kamui who are unconscious, had awaken. Her room was shared with the youngest member of Ten no Ryu –Nekoi Yuzuriha, and both of them were admitted at the same time. It was been three months since the last battle happened so it was impossible for her to do anything physical taxing all time. Then why she felt very weird? What exactly is going on?

Unless...at that time.

When she and Sorata were ‘together’ that time.

Could it be that she...?

Arashi slowly shook her head, tried to defy the consequences of their acts. Her long brown hair slowly fell forward as she leaned her head against the wall, tried to support her tired body while thinking of something.

 _Maybe_ _I really should see that doctor…_

"Arashi-san?" Yuzu (2) called out for her anxiously from outside the bathroom.

"Yes?" She called back, wiping her hands dry on a paper towel.

"Are you feeling alright? You sure you don't want to see a doctor? You've been going to the toilets an awful lot this week."

"No, I'll be fine!" She called back faking a calm demeanour.

"Are you sure? I'll take you down to the doctor's now if you want."

"No, Yuzu-chan, I'll be fine! I promise!" Arashi opened the toilet door and find her looking at Arashi with a highly worried expression on her face. "I'll go down to see the doctor later, if you're so worried." Her expression lifted for a moment in temporary relief.

Arashi knew that no matter what happened, the little girl would found it anyway, the strangeness of her body. Aside of all of the symptoms she had mentioned just now, the other significant that she could see was that she had gained weight. She knew that she had to face the truth so when the young Yuzuriha was out of the room; probably went to visit our newly awaken and once-again-angsty-guy Sumeragi Subaru in his room, Arashi went out quietly and went to seek the chairman Imonoyama Nokoru. After some discussions, Nokoru had arranged an appointment with a doctor named Mitsutani Mikako –a GP, that evening in the O & G department.

At the time went Arashi arrived at the clinic with the gentle Nokoru and calm Suoh, it was almost empty.

"Is the doctor available at the moment?" Nokoru asked the nurse sitting at the reception. She flicked through a few files and nodded her head.

"Would you like to see her now, Richijou-sama?"

"Yes please, it won't take long." The nurse nodded her head and gestured for them to take a seat while she informed the doctor. They took a seat and observed the near empty clinic. There were several children's toys strewn all over the kid's corner and a mother was sitting there watching over her children, looking much worn. She caught Arashi’s eyes and gave her a smile.

The nurse returned quickly, beckoning Nokoru and Arashi (Suoh said that he would wait for them outside) to follow her, they stood up and walked over to the nurse, letting themselves be lead by her down a few corridors before directing them into a doctor's office. A youngish female doctor; perhaps about ten years older than Arashi was in there reading through some files.

"Hello, Imonoyama-san. It’s been awhile,” She said while Nokoru chuckled a little. “What can I do for you, who have suddenly made an appointment with a GP like me? Perhaps you’re going to the wrong clinic?”

“No, no, Mitsutani-sensei. I came here because one of my “cares” has some matters to discuss with you,” He gestured his head to Arashi, which immediately understood by Mitsutani.

“Oh, so you must be Kiishu Arashi-san? How are you feeling?" She pulled out a chair for her and gestured for Arashi to sit. The nurse closed the door behind her leaving them in privacy.

"I think I caught a stomach bug or maybe a winter cold. I've been feeling nauseous lately and my stomach cramps pretty often." She wrote down some notes on her note pad while Nokoru, who sat next to Arashi slowly, narrowed his eyes. He looked at Mitsutani before the latter before asking Arashi again,

"Are you feeling any other symptoms?"

"Just recently my breast has also been getting really sore, and it feels quite tight." She wrote some more on her note pad before turning to her. Nokoru understood what would be the next so he excused himself for a while.

"Do you mind if I take a look?" Arashi shook her head and pulled off the thick layers of clothes she wore to keep warm (remember although it is November, it still winter season). She gently pressed down on the top of her breast and Arashi let out a small wince.

"It feels pretty tender," She gestured to Arashi that she could put her clothes back on.

"If you don't mind answering me, this is a really personal question but when was the last time you had sex?" She asked her in full seriousness looking at her with concern. Arashi blinked a few times before the question could sink in. She could feel her face was burning.

"S-sex?"

"If its too personal, don't feel the need to answer me but…"

"N-no… umm about three months ago…"

"What forms of contraception did you use?"

Contraception?

Arashi feel the whole world spinning and she have to close her eyes to stop herself from falling over. She buried her head in her hands.

"We… we didn't…"

_Oh my god. How could I have forgotten?_

 

**_You never had sex before – why should that thought cross your mind?_ **

 

_But in school… how many times did our health teachers tell us about contraception?_

 

**_Countless._ **

 

She pulled in shaky breaths trying to calm her down.

That day...the day where she let herself and Sorata to consummate their relationship, upon the incident that almost lost his life for saving her. She let her emotions and intuition took over; understood that she was indeed, in love with the man that always confessed his love to her.

 

_But just one time...and the aftermath is..._

 

"Kiishu-san?" The doctor asked her, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"I – I… what am I going to do?" She asked her, fear showing in her eyes and voice.

"I'll do a blood test to confirm it but there are plenty of support groups out there. And there are other options as well – if you really can't have the baby."

 _Abortion?_ Arashi think repulsively.

"I can't – I won't abort." She amended herself. _It’s Sorata’s child; the only fragment he left after such tragedy...How could she be so cruel to his child?_

Their child...

"I understand," she said sympathetically, "But if you need some help feel free to come to these sessions." She handed her a few pamphlets about mother's groups and support networks for teen mothers.

"It's all up to you now Kiishu-san. I'll do the blood test and the results should be in by tomorrow, come by tomorrow to pick them up – or whenever it's convenient for you."

She took out a syringe and pulled up the sleeves to let her get a blood sample. She tied a piece of rubber across the top of Arashi’s arm to stop the blood flow for a moment as she drew out blood; Arashi looked away as she drew her blood. After the Final Day battle, Arashi could never stand needles. She flinched at the sharp prick but after that, she don't feel anything until she pressed a piece of cotton wool on her arm to stop the blood.

It was so obvious now that she think about it. She wondered why the thought of her being pregnant didn't cross her mind. She supposed the human mind blocked out what it doesn't want to listen to, or because they did not realize it because of other matters that need her concern more.

Like the matter of Kamui...

"If you want to talk to me about anything else don't hesitate to come by again." She gave her a weak smile. “However, I have to inform this matter to Imonoyama-san. Since he is your current guardian now, he needs to know as well.”

"Thank you doctor…" Arashi walked out of her office with her bringing Arashi to the reception.

"Take care Kiishu-san, don't do anything too strenuous and if you have any thing you want to check with me. Come and see me again." Arashi nodded her head as she sat next to Suoh who glanced at her concern, while Nokoru was talking to Mitsutani about Arashi’s condition.

She is so kind, Arashi thought emotionally. What am I going to do now? Tell Sorata? Tell him _what?_

Sorata was already gone. He died like the prophecy of the Stargazer of Kouya Mount said to him; to die protecting the woman he loved. He died protecting the young miko of Ise Shrine during the Final Battle, whom at that time she was imprison by the Dark Hinoto inside the dream to be Chi no Ryu’s new member; fulfill the empty seat of Nataku.

  Arashi sighed as she slowly remembered the painful memories of her lost beloved. She remembered how panic Sorata was, at the moment she opened her eyes and was in blur –the side effect of Dark Hinoto’s spell. She could remember that they were in dream space, all the dragons of both sides were there, with a woman wearing black visor stood behind Sorata –her smile looked cold...

WAIT. A WOMAN?

_Thub!_

Arashi held her head as she suddenly felt pain on her head. She felt very painful that she no longer able to hear or feel anything. Shinji’s words suddenly echoed in the mind, reflecting the last question that triggered her condition and others into worse.

 

 **_“Do you remember…something_ ** _unusual **during the fight?"**_

 

Indeed, she remembered. There WAS something unusual about the fight. The existence of the woman with black visor and cold smile was the _unusual_ thing happened that time. By why she did not remember about it when three months ago she and others still awaken.

Why now?

With her tired body and the new pain that kept hurting her head made, her fell on the floor, passed out. Nokoru and the others quickly went to her side and called for help.

Unknown to them, a black cat with a pair of emerald eyes witnessed everything before it jumped down and disappeared within the darkness.

 

* * *

 

 

            A man with heterochremia eyes stared at the files in front of him. His beautiful, silky short blonde hair went to his right side as he grabbed some paper on his right side. His long and beautiful fingers danced harmoniously on the keyboard, searching for something important. His eyes narrowed as he found what he wanted for. Actually, it was a profile of someone from another dimension; the place where people who have unique abilities and powers like would be sending for missions. In other words…

            A Guardian.

            The young man’s mismatch eyes; one green on the left and black on the right, stared at the LCD computer screen in front of him. The data of the person he was ordered to find for appeared in front of him, but there was something about this person that disturbed him a little.

 **_Name:_ ** _Shirou Kamui_

 **_Meanings:_ ** _‘The One Who Represented the Majesty of God’, ‘the One Who Hunted the Majesty of the Gods’._

 **_Gender:_ ** _Male_

 **_Age:_ ** _15-16_

            ‘ _Hm? That’s weird. How can they not decide which one is his true age?_ ’ Thought the young man. His eyes trailed down the details of Shirou Kamui’s profile, tried to search for something. He found out that this young boy’s background was a bit interesting; after all, this person was one of their main attentions to be taken by the Guardians that will go there. He narrowed his eyes as he found something that caught his eyes.

 **_Family:_ ** _None. His only parent, Shirou Tohru (mother) passed away seven months (4) before the Final Day appeared. His mother’s sister –Magami Tokiko, died for giving birth to the second Shinken (5). His father remained unknown._

‘What a poor child’, he thought, as he scrolled down the mouse down more.

**_Description of his current condition:_ **

_Currently he was unconscious; the injuries he bore from the last battle had affected his body very much._ _He has suffered severe lacerations to the legs, upper torso and his arms. Most of the cuts required only a few stitches to seal them again. However, the cut he has received beneath his left shoulder and the impact he received to his head are of more concern. The blow to the head has been enough to render him unconscious and he need to do a C.A.T scan before can say if there has been any lasting damage._

_He was off communication with his own clan –the Magami clan. His own mother did not tell him who she was or any kind of family relations with the Magami clan. He managed to meet with his maternal aunt, only for a while, before she was kidnapped and died giving birth to the second sword. His lover –Monou Kotori, died in the hand of Kamui of Chi no Ryu (6) while her brother –Monou Fuuma –Kamui’s good friend; changed into the Kamui of Chi no Ryu..._

            He skipped more since most of the reports were about the life journey of him and his comrades, including the betrayal of one of his close comrade –Sumeragi Subaru, who became the next successor of the late Sakurazukamori (7). He read more until his eyes caught something on the report.

            _During the final battle, there was a disturbing happened; it appeared that the Kamui of Ten no Ryu_ (8) _was attack by a third party. When the attack happened, the ‘Apprentice’ found a poison dart on the ground zero; its craftsmanship is not from the X Dimension..._

            He slammed his right fist on the table and quickly grabbed a phone, shocking the other workers around him. At the photo, he saw on the report was something he never expected to happen, let alone to left ‘that’ person went to the dimension without this one.

            ‘She’s going to kill me if I ever let this one left behind!’

            _TUUUTTT~!_

            “Hello, this is…”

            “I have bad news for you, and I believe your apprentice had notice this as well!”

            A silence.

 

* * *

 

**_-November 1999, CLAMP Campus, Headquarters Hospital-_ **

 

His hands twitched as a sign of his awaken.

Kamui came to groggily, his brows creasing over still-closed eyes. Not quite up to the task of putting a coherent thought together, he lay there for a while and let his mind catch up with his body. There were certainly some voices, but he couldn't get himself to recognize them as his head felt so heavy that the words spoken seemed incoherent at the moment. His body was stiff and he couldn't seem to move, so he slowly tried to move his fingers, letting the blood circulate and making him take control of his body again.

When he finally felt a little bit of strength coming to him, he slowly opened his eyelids, and then squeezed them shut again as the light reflected in his eyes was blinding that it almost hurt. His weak amethyst slowly opened its lids again, slowly accepting the lights that almost blind his sight. He couldn’t seem to recall what happened, and why he had fallen ‘asleep’ in the first place. The last he remembered was talking to Fuuma and Subaru in the Tokyo Tower during the battle and then…

A blank.

He could not remember what had happened before.

He never realized that a single tear fell down on his face, until he felt something soft and warm wiped away the unnoticed tear from his face. He tried his best to clear his mind clearly and this time, he managed to do so.

He saw Aoki Seiichirou was leaning his head to him, looked very worried with Kusanagi at his back. Behind him was Imonoyama Nokoru –the CLAMP Campus chairman with his assistances –Takamura Suoh the secretary and Ijyuin Akira the treasure and pediatric; they stood behind the blonde man. He saw the other members of Ten no Ryu and Chi no Ryu that still survived stood next to each other, faces looked worried and concerned.

What shocked him a bit were the existence of Monou Fuuma and Sumeragi Subaru.

Kamui was shock. Not only he realized that he was alive, but he also met with the people who were very important to him. However, he was in his guard; could it be this is just a dream? A dream that he unconsciously made up to deny what exactly happened to him?

Tried to grasp a realm of reality, Kamui tried to sit up from the bed, only to suffer terrible pains on his torso and left shoulder, almost made him fell back harshly if Fuuma and Aoki did not support his back. They slowly laid him down, afraid that he will injured more than before. Kamui moaned in pain as he tried to adjust himself with his surroundings. Cold sweat slowly appeared on his forehead, which was half covered with bandages. Aoki, Kusanagi and Yuzuriha immediately left the room to call the doctor, while the others stayed within the young boy.

Fuuma slowly came to his side and grabbed his hand. Kamui looked at him weakly, and realized something.

His hand was cold.

“Kamui…oh goodness you’re awake,” Said Fuuma, tears barely seen in his eyes.

“Fuu…Ma…” He tried to talk, but his throat was hurt. Fuuma slowly put his hand on his lips, forbidden the young seal to speak anymore. Kamui just silent and weakly looked at the boy that he had tried so hard to get back, but cost him more than he ever thought. He looked around and realized that several people that he knew were missing.

“No…ko..ru…san…”

“Yes, I’m here Kamui-kun,” Said the blonde hair man as he came near and slowly stroke the young seal’s hair. Deep inside his heart, he was glad that young boy finally awakened after spent three months in coma. Although the young Sumeragi suffered the same condition as him, Kamui’s injuries were heavier than Subaru. “Don’t worry, everything’s fine, don’t worry alright?”

“Ara…shi…” Nokoru’s jaw tightened; the young girl was resting at her room right now. A private room that he set up just for the young lady to rest due to her shocking pregnancy. “She’s resting, Kamui-kun. I’m sorry but she’s fine, don’t worry about her…”

“Su…ba..ru…?”

“I’m here Kamui,” Said the young mismatch-eyes man, as he was wheeled to Kamui’s side by Akira and immediately grabbed the other young seal’s hand. Still cold and numb; Subaru almost not believed that boy was awaken and alive if he did not see him with his own eyes and just let his sense of touching guided him. “I’m here, I’m here Kamui…”

‘ _Such a desperate way…_ ’ A silent thought went across Nokoru, Suoh and Akira, as the three of them slowly turned around and saw someone that they never expected to be there at the moment. Kamui, who was not aware of the uninvited guest slowly looked at his surrounding and asked the questions that everyone fear to hear about.

“Where’s Sorata…and Karen-san?”

 _Where’s Sorata and Karen-san?_ Such simple but powerful word was enough to make everyone in the room flinched and stood frozen on their toes. Nokoru’s face went pale, Akira and Suoh glanced with each other, Aoki, Yuzuriha and Kusanagi who went back from calling the doctor stopped solid on the ground, unable to stop themselves from the unexpected question from Kamui. Fuuma looked at Kamui with wide eyes before the youth turned away from facing him, while Subaru looked down, unable to say anything.

“Nokoru-san?” Asked Kamui clearly this time, felt weird why everyone in the room became silent.

Something was not right, he could feel it. His heart beat faster because of this.

“Kamui-kun…I’m sorry, but Sorata-kun and Kasumi-san have passed away…”

At first Kamui did not realize it, however after some moment he realized that Nokoru had said something that disturbing his mind.

“Wha –wha –what did… you just… say…?”

Nokoru stared at him, looked very sad. Kamui stared at him, not able to believe what he just heard and learned.

“No, no no no...It can’t be...”

Nokoru was worried. He knew Kamui had started to feel shock and tense, it was obvious by the reaction of the boy. The next thing he knew that the boy was already in chaotic condition much to his surprised.

"NOOO! STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

 

* * *

 

Shinji something was not right at the moment he stepped himself onto the pathway to the ward where the leader of Ten no Ryu –Shirou Kamui, was located. As he was about to turn around, he almost got crush by a group of nurses and a doctor, and the dragons who went towards the same room he was about to go. Not long after that, he heard something that made his heart went racing.

"NOOO! STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

“Great, that boy has awakened and he must have asked them something not good!”

Shinji quickly went inside the room when the doctor in charge approached him and told him what had happen. Shinji looked at the poor child who was sitting at the bed, covered with bandages. His condition looked worse; it was reflected in his eyes. The men were ready to catch him and Mitsutani-sensei, the doctor who was available at that time was ready to inject him with sleeping medicine when Shinji slowly grabbed her hand and shook his head.

"Let me handle this," He said.

"But…"

"Don't worry; I know how to handle that child."

The doctor only nodded his head, since she knew Shinji was really concern with the child. Subaru looked at his cousin who slowly approached the half-panic boy on the bed, and tried to stop him. He felt someone grabbed his shoulder and realized Suoh had stopped him from doing so.

“Let him be.”

Kamui held himself as his mouth muttering something that nobody could hear. He looked so afraid, and he twitched when he saw Shinji slowly went to him from the crowded people.

"Kamui-kun?" He said.

Kamui twitched and started to cry as he waved his hands frantically, trying to avoid Shinji from coming to his side. He felt so terrified, so disgusting from being touching by anyone. Shinji at the other side, just ignored the fear that boy was having and made his way to him, grabbing his hands.

Kamui was so shock that he started to scream hysterically. Shinji could swear that time, that child was so afraid with him. The experience that he had that time had traumatized him a lot; he was so scared to be touch. Too scare to have someone to care for him, since many people who connected to him passed away in tragic way.

He too, has lost everything related to him…

"No! Let me go! Let me go~!" He screamed.

"Kamui-kun, calm down! You’re hurting yourself!" Said Shinji, trying to calm down the boy.

"NO!" He screamed. "Let go! Let goo!"

"Shinji-san, please let us handle him," Said Mitsutani-sensei. "Nurses, get ready to-"

Suddenly Shinji went over and hugged the poor child in his arms. His sudden and unexpected moves had make Kamui's scream lost immediately. He looked shock with his wide eyes while Shinji held him close to him. He slowly stroked the back of Kamui’s body, trying to calm him down.

"Kamui, calm down…It's alright. You don’t have to be afraid anymore," Said Shinji, trying to calm down the boy and himself. Kamui looked at him with wide eyes and heavy breath. Slowly, tears were gathering in his blue eyes as he said to Shinji with cracking voice.

"Fa…father?"

Shinji was shock at first, but then he slowly sighed as he looked the child in front of him with gentle eyes and nodded his head. His action had shocking everyone in the room except the detectives. They immediately understood that under that circumstance, Shinji was trying to calm the child down by acting as if he was the father of Kamui. To be truth, they knew that Kamui never met his father, however for some unknown reason, even to Shinji; Kamui had called the police officer as a ‘father’. That matter had raised something within Shinji himself as he raised his hand to the doctors and nurses. They looked at him and nodded their head.

"It's alright Kamui-kun, it's alright," He said as he hugged the child. Kamui was startled a while, before he asked him again.

"It…It is…?" He asked.

"Yes…" He said. "Calm down OK? I'm here."

His soft, gentle words had made the traumatic boy cried as he held him tightly. Shinji stroked his hair and patted his back, trying to calm him down. Slowly, he took a deep breathe, and started to sing s a song…

 

**_Seven Spring Herbs,_ **

**_Shepherd’s Purse..._ **

 

            ‘This song?’ Thought Subaru, shocked. ‘Could it be...?’

 

**_Ere do the Western Birds._ **

 

            Shinji smiled as he sang the song. His deep, gentle voice that sang the song somehow managed to calm down the frantic and half-hysteria Kamui. The young boy breathed slowly due to his injuries; nevertheless, he managed to relax his body in the elder man’s arms. His lively emerald eyes were close, showed that he harmonized himself with the song, created such a nostalgic and lovely scene; like a father who was singing to his newly born baby. His right hand kept stroking the youth’s dark hair, slowly, but surely, made Kamui felt sleepy.

 

**_To the Land of the East..._ **

 

            At the same time, Subaru could see a part of his past memories; the memories when he saw a young girl, with the same song and smile, holding a small baby in her arms, singing lovely. The tremor of her voice singing to the small baby was so nice, which making Subaru’s tear appeared on his right eyes, and his right hand slowly rose up, shaking.

            ‘There’s no doubt about it!’ He thought. ‘It’s this song...’

 

**_Come Across the sea to roost._ **

 

Everyone was speechless as all of them looked at how fatherly, Shinji was. Singing a song that they never knew what kind of title is, Shinji managed to clam down the shock boy in his arms. He slowly rocked his body as he tried to make the young boy sleep; liked he was a baby. Even Fuuma, who was next to Kamui at that time did not do anything towards Shinji and decided that he knew Shinji was doing the best for Kamui, and not taking advantages on the poor boy.

Shinji leaned down and let his cheek against the youth’s hair, felt him nuzzled closer. He just let Kamui leaned against him, who was savoring his warmth as the young boy tried to calm down himself. After a while, Shinji started to hum a little.

Kamui’s half-close eyes seemed heavy when he heard the humming. _He is so . . . out of tune,_ he thought bluntly. Nonetheless, the hum carried deep into his chest, giving off a soft vibration that was somewhat soothing. And the way he continually ran his fingers through his hair made Kamui sleepy even more. The exhaustion from the shock he received that day, plus with his weak body was catching up with his. Within minutes, he was out.

            “You sing it,” Shinji glanced over his shoulder and saw the young Sumeragi stared at him with unreadable face. “That song...”

            “Yes, it’s a song.”

            “It’s her song...”

            “Then, why do you ask Subaru?” Shinji said as he slowly, but gently, placed the sleeping boy back on his bed, ran his hand over the hair that wrapped with bandages. “Still feel guilty over something that you decide on your own?”

             Subaru was silent. He knew that no matter what he said, Shinji would always have his own ways to counter-back his words. Not only because he is older than he is, it is also because he lived with a certain person that Shinji seemed to adapt the personality of the said person, which Subaru himself doubt he ever remember this person at all.

            But Shinji had sung this song...

            Sounds of ringing phone had gained attention from the people in Kamui’s ward, and it appeared that it belongs to Shinji’s cell phone. Maybe it was his imagination, as Subaru looked up and saw Shinji’s expression was changed drastically. However when he looked at Fuuma and the others, he realized that he was not the only one who affected with the sudden changed of Shinji.

            Shinji’s expression was dark and serious, as he took out his phone and flipped its cover. Placed it on his ear, he knew that it was a call from ‘that’ person. Suoh, Nokoru and Akira narrowed their eyes as their gazes met with Shinji, understood very much upon whom was calling for Shinji. The ring tone that he set up for this call, was specially made to receive this ‘person’s call.

            “This is me,” Such a deep and dark tone of voice, sent chill to everyone in the room minus the sleeping Kamui. Although they only met with Shinji several times (except Nokoru, Suoh and Akira), the dragons would never think that Subaru’s cousin was someone with dark side as well.

            A few minutes were passed and most of the time Shinji was silent, but they could see the expression changed from silent and serious into rage and shock. Narrowed his eyes, Shinji replied with stern and firm answer, “Understand. I’ll go as well. Be careful!”

            Be careful... such words that been said with stern and worried, made everyone wondered what exactly Shinji was deal right now.

            “Sorry, I’ve got to go,” He said as he grabbed his coat and wore it on the spot.

            “Urgent call?” Asked Nokoru with a heavy pronounce on ‘urgent’ words.

            “Yeah, can’t wait for it or it’ll turn disaster.”

            “Please be careful,” Said Akira as he watched Shinji walked to the door.

            Shinji turned around and looked over his shoulder, “I will.”

            “Please come to visit again,” Said Suoh, which earned a question, glance from Nokoru and Akira, as well as the rest of the dragons. “That boy, Kamui...”

            “He must want you to come again...”

            Shinji looked shock to hear that; Souh, although he rarely said anything, he knew what exactly others were thinking. Something that Shinji thought it must be through heredity or maybe because they were simply relatives, since ‘that’ person was his cousin at all...

            Smiled gently, Shinji bowed before he went to the other side of the door, and disappeared after that.

            Suoh knew that everyone must have been wondering, why out of the blue he said something like that to Shinji, but deep inside of his heart, he knew that poor boy was slowly attracted to Shinji. Shinji was not only an adult with empathy ability, but he also a father of a child in his small family. He understood children’s feelings like Kamui more than others did; Aoki might be understood as well, but the facts that Shinji had grown up in such complex environment, he doubt that Aoki immediately realized what had lack in Kamui’s life...

            That boy...

            He probably looked at Shinji as a father...

 

* * *

 

**_-November 1999, Ueno Park, Ueno. Night-_ **

 

                 Shinji did not know what he should say about this.

 

         Night in Tokyo was never truly considered night –it is a city that never slept. The ever-present neon lights illuminated the winter sky, creating an illusion of a false day. Even in the dark of night, many frequented the streets of Tokyo, taking in the beauty of those lights and liveliness. There were places, however, that the light did not touch; places that seemed to exist in a world of their own, away from the sounds and sights that defined the metropolis. The grounds of Ueno Park were one of these places. The quiet atmosphere set the park off from the world around it, the paths through the sakura trees undisturbed in the chill of the winter night.

Likewise, no one would notice the forms that coalesced beside the path of the trees. The forms that surrounded by the darkness of the shadows, one of them with weapons stood in front of one ancient Sakura tree, that stood mystically in front of the shadow. Even from the darkness night, anyone could see that it was a woman.

The dark shadow quietly put her weapon back in its case. Turning away from the scene of her latest action, she walked calmly through the fallen sakura petals, came form the mystical Sakura tree in the park. Three figures and with Shinji, who volunteered to follow her, looked as though they were going to be sick. She ignored their terrified stares as she made her way to the path where the main entry was located.

“You...really did it this time...” Said Shinji, as he slowly followed her. On his right hand, was a long spear with fine blade, chained with twin chains around the spear. There was a motive of kirin (8) crafted on the long stick...

With a symbol of Jupiter.

“Be grateful that they’re not humans at all...” She said as she placed a black visor on her eyes and grabbed her floating coat. The air was cold, and silent. “Or otherwise it’s already gruesome to me as well.”

“You never stop when it comes to face the enemies, right My Lady?” Asked the later companions, a man, which appeared to be hidden by shadows. The shadows looked like a group of young people –one of them had a shape of young woman in middle twenties, while the others were a tall man and a young boy –probably in the age of 10; all of them were hidden under the darkness of the night. The three of them were silently watching the battle between their mistress and the enemies before, that they slowly vanishing themselves within the darkness, when the man spoke after the long silence.

“I already told you to stop calling me ‘My Lady’ mister,” She said as she turned around, “Besides; they’re not worth to be pity compare to their crimes.”

“Are you sure about this?” Asked Junya, as he appeared from the shadows; body was covered with grey robe all over from head to toes, revealing only his face with bright hazel nut eyes. “The ‘Leader’ must be mad about this...”

“I doubt that,” She said as she placed a katana (9) on her right shoulder. “The Guardians are the same as me; we’re killers of the enemies.”

“Stained by blood, dirtied by the anger and grudge, anything you call as a justice is nothing more than a fairy tale,” Her female companion looked at her with sad eyes. Obviously, she was not happy. “I bet let’s left this thing for the reminder...”

“They’re just half of the group that killed Ibuki’s team,” Shinji glanced as he and the others walked away from the Ueno Park (10). “Even the ‘Queen’ has to be ruthless or otherwise you can’t protect others.”

“Nee, Taka-san (11),” Said the shadow lady as she looked at the man with a hawk on his left hand, “Can your eagle do some patrolling around this area?”

“Sure, why not?”

“It’s because this place is once under your care...”

A silent.

“Let’s go,” Said Shinji. “Left this reminder alone. After all, only people like us can see them.”

“Which is why I don’t like it,” Said Junya as him and the others jumped away from the park immediately, since all of them except the mistress felt very uneasy to stay longer in that park.

Behind them, the source of the group's uneasiness lay splattered across the rood and the storefronts where the brief skirmish (if one could call it that) had taken place. The enemies were no longer recognizable, as their bodies had been cut into pieces, splattering black blood and gore far and wide across the road. Some body parts leaned limply against benches, street lamps and trees while others sprawled out across the ground. It was one of the most gruesome things that Tokyo had ever seen.

Yet, unlike what it should be happen, the shadow lady did not have a single drop of black blood on her body.

 

* * *

 

 

**_ Hints or Explanations: _ **

(1) **Nataku-sama** –This person is NOT the Nataku of Chi no Ryu. He is actually one of my OCs, but to be truth this character was based on Nataku of X-1999 (movie-based character) himself, except that he was not Nataku from X-1999 story. Better said, just like Yuuko-san said from XXXHolics, we met same people in different places but their personalities are different –which is the reason why this person is NOT Nataku the clone of Kazuki.

(2) **X Dimension** –As we already know, in CLAMP universal works, they tend to make crossover’s characters appearances of other works into their current work, which is not unusual to us the fans. In this story, these teenagers are indeed from another dimension –the Human World, and they actually about to go to the world where the Apocalypse day had ended. Since we knew this is the story of X-1999, I decided to name the dimension where Kamui and the other lives as X Dimension.

(3) **Yuzu/ Yuzu-chan** –Nekoi Yuzuriha’s short name. Although nobody actually calls her name like that, I made it short since her name is really long to mention, and since I’m currently not in good mood to write the full name, I just call her as ‘Yuzu/ Yuzu-chan’.

Yuzu is also the name of Japanese citrus. Although it originated from China, Yuzu is the most famous and popular of the citrus fruits used in Japanese cooking.

(4) **The Timeline of Shirou (Magami) Tohru Death** –Apparently from my observation, the Final Day probably to be happened in summer to early autumn 1999, in month of August to early September. Kamui started to move to Tokyo two weeks after his mother’s death, and in the start of the story Kotori homeroom teacher said that it was spring, confirming that Tohru passed away in the middle of March 1999.

Since the final battle appeared after that, and from the uniform wore by Kamui, Arashi and Yuzuriha (Sorata didn’t wear his uniform apparently), Tohru passed away nearly five months before the battle begins, and the information in Kamui’s profile showed that she died seven months before the current story begins.

(5) **Shinken** –1) A sword bequeathed by God 2) A sword made as an offering to God.

In the manga it was called as the “Holy Sword’, wielded only by ‘Kamuis’ of each dragon. In Kamui’s profile, Magami Tokiko was mentioned to bear the second sword which resulting her death, and Kotori’s lost consciousness to the real world.

(6) **Chi no Ryu** –Dragon of Earth, the Seven Minions. The group of people whose role is to destroy the barriers in Tokyo and destroyed the Earth, in order to ‘heal’ the pollute Earth done by the corrupted humans.

(7) **Sakurazukamori** – "Guardian of the Cherry Blossom Burial Mound". The assassin who uses Onmyoujutsu to kill who threatens Japan. This Sakurazukamori mentioned in the report was the late Sakurazuka Seishirou.

(8) **Kirin** –A mystical animal in East Asia’s culture. The Qilin (Chinese: 麒麟; pinyin: qílín; Wade–Giles: ch'i-lin) is a mythical hooved Chinese chimerical creature known throughout various East Asian cultures, and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a wise sage or an illustrious ruler. In Japan, the Qilin is called Kirin (i.e. 麒麟 in Kanji) in Japanese, which has also come to be used in the modern Japanese word for a giraffe. The Japanese art tends to depict the Qilin as more deer-like than in Chinese art. Alternatively, it is depicted as a dragon shaped like a deer, but with an ox's tail instead of a lion's tail. They are also often portrayed as partially unicorn-like in appearance, but with a backwards curving horn.

At Shinji’s spear, it appears that he had some motive of kirin crafted on his weapon.

(9) **Katana** –A type of Japanese sword. Historically, katana (刀) were one of the traditionally made Japanese swords (日本刀 nihonto) that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan, also commonly referred to as a "samurai sword". The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. It has historically been associated with the samurai of feudal Japan, and has become renowned for its sharpness and strength.

The shadow lady wielded this kind of weapon, which she used to fight and killed the enemies in a gruesome way.

(10) **Ueno Park** – Ueno Park (上野公園 Ueno Kōen) is a spacious public park in the Ueno district of Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. The park was established in 1873 on lands formerly belonging to the temple of Kan'ei-ji. Amongst the country's first public parks, it was founded following the western example as part of the borrowing and assimilation of international practices that characterizes the early Meiji period. The home of a number of major museums, Ueno Park is also celebrated in spring for its cherry blossoms and hanami. In recent times, the park and its attractions have drawn over ten million visitors a year, making it Japan's most popular city park.

(11) **Taka** –Taka means ‘hawk’ or ‘eagle’ in Japanese language. The reason the said person was called as Taka is that he has a familiar in a form of eagle, thus earning him this name.

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**End of Chapter 04**

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**It’s finally done! I’m very sorry for the late chapter since the new school term was open and I've been busy, plus I’m just recovering from fever and other illness so it’s taking some time. I don't know when the next chapter will be update s** **o it will be kind of late. Please read and review,** **I hope that for the reviews and sorry for the errors.** **Thank you.**

**-Aoi Kitsukawa-**

  


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